A Few Pieces More
by ElectronicYarn
Summary: With Adam and the White Fang defeated, Team RWBY has earned themselves a break. Yang promised Blake a date, and she intends to deliver. Meanwhile, Ruby and Weiss are enjoying the downtime as well. But Weiss has a secret she's been keeping from Ruby for a long time, and she can't hold it back much longer. Part 2 of the Missing Pieces series.
1. An Important Date

_Author's Note:_ _This story is part two of The Missing Pieces Series. If you haven't read_ Missing Pieces _, you're probably going to have no idea what's going on, so I strongly suggest you read that story first._

 _This story was written just before the release of Volume 4. It's compliant with canon through Volume 3._

 _This is the Teen and Up version of the story. The Mature version has been posted to Archive of Our Own._

* * *

 **Chapter 1: An Important Date**

"This is a complete disaster!" Yang wailed. "Why didn't I bring anything nice to wear?"

Yang was frantically pulling every single article of clothing she had out of her duffle bag at a manic pace. Having only one hand wasn't slowing her down a bit. Her clothes were already scattered everywhere across the floor of her guest room in the Schnee mansion.

"I'm sure Blake will understand," Ruby said absently from behind Yang's back. She was preoccupied tugging Yang's unruly mane of hair into a thick braid.

"This is going to be our first date! I don't want her to have to understand! I want everything to be perfect!" Yang said. She started pacing back and forth.

Ruby did an impressive job of staying glued to Yang's back as she worked. "I'm pretty sure as long as you're there, Blake will be happy," Ruby said. She finally made the last turn of the braid and slipped a hair tie onto the end. "What are you guys going to do anyway?"

"I'm going to take Blake on a motorcycle ride," Yang said.

"Uh…a motorcycle ride?" Ruby asked as she came around to Yang's front.

"Yeah," Yang said. "It's a great thing to do on a first date. Let's me be spontaneous."

"Are you going to…you know…drive?" Ruby asked as she scratched her arm uncomfortably.

"Well of course I…oh. Oooh. Oh," Yang said as she realized what Ruby was getting at. Driving a motorcycle with one hand wasn't really feasible, and Yang's cybernetic arm was still out for repairs after the fight with Adam.

With a heavy sigh, Yang slumped to the floor and sprawled out flat on her back. "Figures," she said. "I go on dozens of first dates, but everything is going horribly wrong on the one I really care about."

Yang had been expecting sympathy from Ruby, but what she got instead was the ding of a message being received by Ruby's new scroll. Yang turned her head and saw Ruby typing in a reply. Ruby had been getting a lot of messages in the last few hours, although Yang hadn't really been paying attention to them.

Yang said, "Ah come on, Sis. Don't I even get an 'everything'll be alright'?"

"Everything will be alright," Ruby said as she slid her scroll back into her pocket. "Because you're getting backup!"

"Backup?" Yang asked.

"You're on Team RWBY again!" Ruby said. "That means we're here to help each other out."

"Pretty sure dating isn't a team activity," Yang said.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Ruby went and opened it. Weiss was on the other side. She walked into the room, followed by one of the mansion's ubiquitous staff who was pushing a large trolley that looked like the kind a porter at a hotel would use. The trolley was loaded down with numerous articles of clothing, several pairs of footwear, and other fashion accessories.

"Thank you, Sven," Weiss said to the staff member. She nodded to dismiss him.

Sven politely bowed and left the room.

Ruby cheered, "Ah yeah! Backup is here!"

Weiss took one look at Yang and said, "Ruby, your sister is lying on the floor in a pile of clothing."

"Yeah, Yang does stuff like that," Ruby said. She walked over to Yang and offered her a hand. "Come on, Sis. Get up."

Yang took Ruby's hand and let herself be pulled to her feet. "What's this?" she asked, motioning to the trolley.

Weiss said, "When I heard you were having difficulty finding something to wear, I knew something needed to be done. There are a few members of the live-in staff that are about your size. They've been kind enough to lend you some of their clothing for the evening."

"Is this what you've been messaging about?" Yang asked Ruby.

"Maaaybe," Ruby said.

"Oooh, you guys are the best!" Yang said. She snagged Ruby by the shoulders and motioned for Weiss to join them. "Come on! Group hug!"

Weiss crossed her arms. "I'll pass. Thank you."

"Ruby! Go hug Weiss!" Yang said.

"That's really…" Weiss got out before Ruby sped over to her in a billow of rose petals and latched on.

Weiss glared at Yang while simultaneously blushing bright red. Yang gave Weiss a far too innocent smile back. It was painfully obvious, especially as of late, how Weiss felt about Ruby, but so far she'd kept her feelings to herself. Yang wasn't really sure what she thought about the prospect of Weiss and Ruby actually hooking up. She respected Weiss, but Ruby was her baby sister. She wasn't sure if Weiss, or anyone else for that matter, was good enough for her. It didn't look like Yang was going to have to worry about that anytime soon, however. And in the meantime, it was an endless source of entertainment for her at Weiss's expense.

"Alright, that's quite enough, Ruby!" Weiss said in a flustered tone. "We have to help your sister."

"Yeah!" Ruby said, letting go. "Operation: Get Yang Ready for Her Date, commence!"

"Let's do it!" Yang agreed, pumping her fist in the air.

Several minutes, lots of bickering, and many articles of clothing later, Yang was dressed to kill. She had on a light brown, leather jacket, slacks, her own orange tank top, and a small woolen scarf. The jacket's right sleeve was rolled up on itself over Yang's stump and secured with the snap on its cuff.

Ruby said, "Now you just need some boots."

Weiss plucked a heeled pair off the bottom of the trolley. "I think these would work quite well," she said.

"Nope. Not badass enough," Yang said. "These'll do, though." She grabbed a pair of knee-high riding boots that matched the color of her jacket. They also had buckles that she could get closed one-handed.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Of course," she said sarcastically.

"Do you need help?" Ruby asked.

"Nope. I got it," Yang said. She sat down in the closest chair and tugged the boots on. "Yeah! Perfect!"

"I guess they do suit you," Weiss said. She turned toward the door. "Now if you'll excuse me."

"Where are you going?" Yang asked.

"To attend to another matter," Weiss said mysteriously. "Ruby, I trust you know what to do."

"Yep!" Ruby said.

"Good," Weiss said and left the room.

Yang eyed Ruby suspiciously. "What else are the two of you up to, baby sister?"

"Nothing!" Ruby said in a tone that made it very obvious that she was up to something. She grabbed Yang's arm. "Come on! Let's go find Blake!"

"Hold on," Yang said, slipping out of Ruby's grasp. She walked over to the nightstand where her bracelets were sitting. She picked up the left one and held it out to Ruby. "This you can help me put on."

"Yang!" Ruby said exasperatedly. "You're going on a date! What do you need Ember Celica for?"

"I always need it," Yang said. "What if we end up at a bar?"

"Just because you go to a bar doesn't mean you have to get into a fight," Ruby said.

"Why else would I go to a bar?" Yang asked. She waggled her bracelet in front of Ruby insistently.

"Ugh. Fine," Ruby said. She took Ember Celica out of Yang's hand and hooked it around her sister's wrist.

"Thanks!" Yang said. She had figured out a way to get her bracelet on by herself, but it was a complicated maneuver that involved holding it in place with her mouth and bending her wrist like a contortionist.

Yang eyed the other half of Ember Celica. She hesitated for a moment, then she nodded to herself, grabbed the bracelet, and slipped it into her jacket pocket.

"Alright!" Yang said. "I'm ready."

Ruby didn't lead Yang to Blake's room like Yang had expected, but rather to the mansion's garage. Yang knew the unusual destination must have something to do with whatever grand plans Ruby and Weiss still had for her and Blake. The other matter Weiss had left to attend to must have been Blake herself.

Yang's gut reaction was to tell Ruby that she didn't need her or Weiss's help to take Blake out on a date, but that certainly hadn't been the case today. More importantly, believing that she could do everything on her own had led her to nothing but trouble. She was done with that kind of thinking. Ruby and Weiss were her teammates. They were there for her, just like she was there for them.

The garage was filled with Mr. Schnee's huge collection of luxury cars. Yang still didn't understand the need for all of them, but what did she know about being rich? Maybe there was a good reason Weiss's dad had more cars than he could ever use, although Yang suspected the collection existed just so that Papa Schnee could dazzle lesser beings with his wealth. If that was the case, Yang was not impressed.

Weiss was waiting for Yang and Ruby about halfway down the line of cars. When Yang and Ruby reached her, she said, "There you finally are. What took you so long?"

Yang shrugged. "Sometimes it's good to make your date wait a little. It builds the anticipation. Looks like Blake's got me beat though. Where is she?"

"She'll be along in a moment," Weiss said.

"So are you going to let me borrow a car?" Yang asked, eyeing the vehicle in front of her. It was no motorcycle, but it might be fun to drive. At the very least it looked like it was fast.

"I had planned to," Weiss said. "But I was told another form of transportation would be more suitable."

As if on cue, an engine roared to life. A rider emerged from the far corner of the garage on the very same motorcycle Yang had borrowed not so long ago and pulled up to where Yang, Weiss, and Ruby were standing. The rider turned off the bike, tilted it onto its kickstand, and pulled off their helmet.

Yang grinned when she saw it was Blake underneath the helmet. Blake was wearing a white turtleneck sweater over black slacks. She had swapped out her typical ankle boots for ones without heels, but her ever-present bow was still perched atop her head. The ensemble was completed by Blake's tailored greatcoat which hung open. It was a simple outfit, but it suited Blake immensely.

"Hiya, girlfriend!" Yang said as Blake got off the bike. "I didn't know you could ride a motorcycle."

"It's nice to know I still have some secrets," Blake said.

"You look fantastic!" Yang said.

"Thanks," Blake said. She took a moment to look Yang over and then said with a smile, "So do you. I like your hair like that."

Yang was having trouble remembering why she'd been so worried about this date. She'd be happy to just stand there and look at Blake until the sun came up the next morning. Judging by Blake's expression, she felt the same way.

"Ahem!" Weiss said very deliberately.

Yang shook herself out of her trance. "So you ready to get going?" she asked Blake.

"I'm ready if you are," Blake said.

Yang offered Blake her arm. "Lead on then!"

Blake hooked her arm in Yang's and led her the very short distance to the motorcycle. Their eyes never left each other.

Ruby bounced up and down while squealing softly. "Isn't it so romantic?" she asked Weiss.

"Yes, sickeningly so," Weiss said. Had anyone been paying attention to her, they would have heard the jealousy in her voice.

Blake redonned her helmet. Yang took the extra one hanging off the back of the bike and put it on. They both took their seats. Blake hit the starter, and Yang hooked her arm around Blake's waist. Blake opened up the throttle and the motorcycle took off.

* * *

A light dusting of snow was falling as Blake and Yang rode down the streets of Atlas. The sun was low in the sky, giving out its last rays of light before it touched the horizon.

Yang had never been on the back of a motorcycle before. She had to admit, it was a lot more fun than she'd expected. Blake wasn't going as fast as she would've liked, but it did afford her the opportunity to press tightly into Blake's back.

Yang felt Blake shiver slightly. Even with a coat and a sweater on, riding a motorcycle in winter was a chilly experience. Yang was already using her semblance to keep herself warm. She cranked up the intensity a few degrees and let the excess heat seep into Blake. She was gratified a few minutes later when she felt Blake's muscles unclench a little.

Blake called out over her shoulder, "I hope you're not hungry yet!"

"I can wait!" Yang shouted back.

"Good! There's something I want to show you!" Blake said. She took a turn that put them on course for the outskirts of town. Yang had no idea where Blake was taking them, but to her surprise, she found that she was content to just let things happen.

The orderly grid of downtown streets soon gave way to smaller, winding roads at the edge of the city. Blake navigated them with ease. She'd clearly been this way before. Eventually, she turned off the road and onto a narrow lane that led to a city park. The park's entrance was blocked off, and there was a prominent sign that read, "CLOSED".

Blake didn't slow down. She skillfully maneuvered the bike in between a gap in the roadblock that was too narrow for a car to fit through. She drove the motorcycle down the roughly paved park roads and up a hill that was wooded with evergreen trees. When the bike crested the top, Blake finally slowed to a stop.

Yang said, "A whole park all to ourselves, huh? Nice."

"I thought you might like it," Blake said as she turned off the engine.

"So is this what you wanted to show me?" Yang asked.

"Not quite," Blake said. She took off her helmet and Yang did the same.

"Over here," Blake said. She tilted the motorcycle onto its stand and got off.

Yang followed Blake down a footpath through the trees. It was only a short distance until they came to a clearing.

"Oh wow!" Yang said.

The clearing was on the edge of a small overlook. The great city of Atlas was laid out before Yang and Blake, backlit by a brilliant sunset. It was a beautiful scene, and it was all for them alone.

Blake walked over to a bench near the overlook and sat down. Yang sat down as well on Blake's right. Their hands naturally found one another as they snuggled close. Yang kept her semblance going. There was no need for Blake to be cold.

Blake reached up with her free hand and undid her bow. Yang was surprised. Despite everything, Blake still didn't feel comfortable showing her ears to anyone, not even her teammates. It was an incredible gesture of trust on Blake's part, and Yang knew it.

Blake sat there quietly for a moment before she said, "I found this place a few weeks after I arrived in Atlas. I came here to watch the sunsets a lot. They…they reminded me of you."

"Blake, I…" Yang said.

Blake silenced Yang with a kiss. Yang's eyes closed as she savored it. She understood what Blake was trying to tell her. Blake didn't need Yang to say anything; she just needed her to be there. Yang squeezed Blake's hand reassuringly. If her physical presence was enough to sooth Blake, then Yang was content with that.

Blake's lips gently left Yang's. She tucked her head into Yang's shoulder, and a wistful sigh escaped her lips. The sun slowly sank below the horizon, and the lights of the city winked on one by one. Yang never imagined she would ever be happy just sitting around not doing anything, but she really was. She'd never appreciated the peaceful stillness of a moment like this. It was a gift Blake had given her without even knowing it.

When the sun vanished completely, Yang felt Blake shift her position slightly. It was the smallest of changes, but it was enough to alert Yang that something was wrong. She didn't even have to turn her head to know that Blake was staring at her stump. Blake probably thought she could get away with it in the dark due to her superior faunus eyesight, but unfortunately for her, Yang knew her too well.

"It's not your fault," Yang said.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"You know what I mean," Yang said.

"I…" Blake stammered. "We shouldn't talk about this. Not on our first date."

"No. We should," Yang said. "I'm not going to have what happened to my arm hanging out there between us."

Blake pulled away from Yang. She stood and walked a few steps away.

If Yang could have, she would have crossed her arms. She settled for scowling instead. She'd meant what she'd said. It was time to put this behind them. She wasn't about to let Blake brood about it any longer, no matter how much she wanted to.

Yang waited almost a full minute before she said, "It's a lot warmer over here by me."

Blake slowly turned around. Yang could see her shivering. With the sun gone, the winter air had become frigid.

Yang patted the space next to her invitingly. "Come on, Blake," she said.

A single tear rolled down Blake's cheek. She walked back over to Yang and threw her arms around her. "I'm so sorry," Blake whispered.

Yang rocked Blake back and forth. She turned up her semblance just another notch to make sure Blake felt safe and warm.

"Listen to me," Yang said soothingly. "I love you. I've loved you a long time. I want to keep loving you for a lot longer."

"Even if I was the coward who ran away when you needed me most?" Blake asked.

"You're not a coward," Yang said. "You're the bravest person I know. You left the only life you'd ever known because you wanted to do what's right. You've saved my life, and I've saved yours. You're my partner and my best friend and nothing's ever going to change that. You got it?"

"I got it," Blake said.

"So are we ready to move on?" Yang asked.

"We're ready," Blake said.

"Well…good," Yang said not sure what else to add.

A soft chuckle cut through Blake's sniffling. "And you think you're not very good with words," she said.

"I do have my moments," Yang said proudly.

Blake and Yang sat there entwined together. Yang could feel the steady rise and fall of Blake's chest. She wasn't sure if what she'd said had been enough, but if it hadn't been she'd simply keep on trying until she was sure Blake didn't blame herself anymore.

Suddenly, Blake started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Yang asked.

"Nothing," Blake said, untangling herself from Yang. "I was just remembering the time you were fighting Dove in sparring class, and you accidentally punched a crater in the arena floor. Professor Goodwitch walked up to you looking very upset. And you looked at her and said, 'Well you did tell us to put forth a _crater_ effort this week!'"

Yang laughed. "Yeah. That was pretty funny. I think Goodwitch actually started quaking with rage."

"I'm surprised she didn't kill you," Blake said.

"I bet she wanted to, but then she'd have to explain herself to Ozpin," Yang said.

"Lucky you," Blake said.

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm ready for dinner," Yang said.

"That sound good," Blake said.

"Where do you want to eat?" Yang asked. "It's your choice. Tonight's all about you."

"Well…there is a seafood place downtown that I've always wanted to try," Blake said.

"I should've guessed," Yang teased.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_ _There. We got all of the angst out of the way in Chapter 1. I'm sure there won't be any more. Right?_

 _I didn't really intend to write this story at first. I actually sat down to write something entirely different, but I couldn't get anywhere on it. And then suddenly this vague collection of ideas for a_ Missing Pieces _follow-up crystallized into something more concrete. So here we are. Think of this as an extended epilogue to_ Missing Pieces _. A very extended epilogue._

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn._


	2. An Accidental Confession

_Author's Note: In my stories, the legal drinking age in most parts of Remnant is 18. Mostly because alcohol is too useful a storytelling tool to give up. This is probably a good time to remind everyone that Weiss, Blake, and Yang have all turned 18._

* * *

 **Chapter 2: An Accidental Confession**

Weiss's scroll was lying on a coffee table in one of the Schnee mansion's numerous sitting rooms. Next to it was a half-empty glass of red wine. All of the room's lights were off, but there was a fire steadily burning in the fireplace.

Weiss herself was sitting on a couch next to the table. She was the only person in the room, but thanks to the wonders of technology, she wasn't alone. Her scroll was displaying a picture of Winter, and Winter's voice was coming from its speakers, "The doctors are very insistent that I remain here for a few more days."

"It's probably best to follow their advice," Weiss said.

"I may not have that luxury," Winter said. "Not with things as they are. General Ironwood has need of me."

"Is it really so bad out there?" Weiss asked.

"I have been reviewing the reports," Winter said. "The details are classified, but suffice it to say, I fear we have not seen the worst of what is to come."

Weiss gave a noncommittal hum.

"Are you feeling well, Weiss?" Winter asked.

"Me? I'm fine," Weiss said. "Why do you ask?"

"You seem distant," Winter said. "Has something happened?"

"No!" Weiss said. Then she added more calmly, "No. It's just…everything's changing so quickly. It's been difficult to adapt."

"You are a Schnee," Winter said. "The time will come when you will stand at the forefront of humanity. It is a burden our family has always born. You must be ready for it."

"You're right of course," Weiss said. "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. You should concentrate on your recovery."

"I will," Winter said. "Take care of yourself, Sister. I will contact you again tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Winter," Weiss said. She leaned forward and hit the end call button on her scroll.

Weiss let out a heavy sigh as she slumped back onto the couch. If Winter could've seen her at that moment, she would've been much more concerned. Weiss was not so much sitting as she was slouching. She never slouched. She'd had too much etiquette drilled into her to do something so unladylike. Even more alarming, she'd taken her shoes off and kicked them aside. Had Father been there, he would have launched into an angry tirade about the necessity of always maintaining proper decorum.

Now that Winter's voice was no longer keeping the silence at bay, the only sounds in the room were the steady burning of the fire and the incessant ticking of a clock on the mantle. Weiss eyed the noisy timepiece malevolently. She really hated that clock. It was old, it didn't keep very good time, and it clashed with the room's décor. Father had acquired it years ago as part of a settlement with a competitor he'd brought to ruin. As Weiss understood it, the clock had been a prized family heirloom. Father had taken it, not because he wanted it, but because he could. He'd kept it all these years as some sort of perverse trophy. Weiss had often dreamed of smashing the clock to bits. She'd never do such a thing of course, but it was cathartic to imagine it.

Weiss turned her gaze to the bay window on the wall opposite her. It was a crisp winter's night outside. The broken moon shone clearly in the sky, and the light snowfall from earlier had stopped. Yang and Blake were somewhere out there amidst the lights of Atlas. Weiss wondered how their date was going. She knew it must be going well. The two of them were just so frustratingly perfect for one another. It hardly seemed fair at all.

Weiss reached for the wine glass on the table and picked it up. She hadn't paid much attention to the vintage when she'd asked Sven to bring it to her. All she'd cared about was having some alcohol to dull her senses. She brought the glass to her lips and drained its contents, savoring the mild burn as it slid down her throat. She thought about calling for another but decided against it. Being tipsy she could manage, but if she actually got drunk, she might do something she'd regret.

Control had always been the key to Weiss's life. It had gotten her into Beacon Academy and away from Father's clutches, albeit temporarily. It had allowed her to maintain an exemplary academic record even in the face of her forced transfer to Atlas Academy. Control was her guiding philosophy, and with times becoming ever more uncertain in the wake of Cinder's emergence, she knew she couldn't afford to surrender any of the control she had left, even temporarily to a lonely night and a bottle of wine.

Weiss set her empty glass down on the table. She knew there would always be things in this world beyond her control, but she'd always thought that she'd at least have total control over herself. If only that were true.

As of late, Weiss's own emotions had worked to undermine her in insidious ways. She'd tried to repress them. She'd tried to ignore them. She'd tried everything she could think of, but to no avail. There was no use denying the truth anymore. Even Yang had somehow managed to figure it out. She, Weiss Schnee, had feelings for Ruby, and they were tearing her up inside.

Weiss wasn't sure when her feelings for Ruby had developed. They'd grown so slowly, it'd been easy for her to quietly bury them deep down inside. She'd been so good at it that they rarely troubled her conscious mind. But when Weiss had returned to Atlas, Ruby's absence had drawn them out. Even then, she'd mistaken them for missing a friend whose presence she'd grown accustomed to.

It wasn't until Weiss had laid eyes again on Ruby in that alley behind the faunus bar that she'd finally understood her feelings were far stronger than a simple desire for friendship. She'd been drowning without even knowing it, and seeing Ruby had put the breath back in her.

Weiss still didn't know if she could call what she felt love. She didn't really even know what love was. All she could be certain of was that her feelings were getting stronger. Seeing Yang and Blake together had made things worse. She was genuinely happy for the two of them, but they'd awakened a kind of jealous envy in her.

The most obvious solution to Weiss's dilemma was to simply confess to Ruby. It was direct, straightforward, and simple. However, Weiss had categorically rejected the idea almost the moment she'd thought of it. There were many reasons. Chief among them was that a relationship with Ruby would expose her to the full scrutiny and scorn of Father and the rest of the Schnee Family. It was a logical, practical reason, and maybe Weiss wouldn't have felt so tormented if logic or practicality had anything to do with why she hadn't expressed her feelings to Ruby.

The brutal, honest truth was that Weiss hadn't confessed to Ruby because she was afraid to. She'd faced down grimm literally ten times her size, but all her courage evaporated in the face of a cheerful girl two years her junior. It was simply pathetic.

The worst part was that Weiss knew Ruby would be gone soon. As torturous as Ruby's presence had been, Weiss didn't want her to leave. However, it was only a matter of time until Ruby would be back on Cinder's trail. She was too much the hero to do anything else. And Weiss couldn't go with her. She had too many responsibilities to leave Atlas, both to her family and academically. There would already be consequences enough for how long she'd neglected her scholastic duties at the academy, especially since she was still the de jure leader of Team WHYT.

When the day came that Ruby departed, Weiss knew she'd be left wondering what might have been if she'd worked up the courage to say something. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it. There were too many ways it could go horribly, horribly wrong.

Weiss tried to tell herself that it was for the best she kept silent. If Winter was to be believed, this wasn't the time to be worried about some silly crush anyway.

"There you are!" a bright voice called out from behind Weiss.

"Ruby!?" Weiss said. Instantly, she corrected her posture and sat up straight.

Ruby bounced happily into the room. She plopped down on the sofa next to Weiss. "You disappeared so fast after Yang and Blake left!"

"Sorry, I…had something to take care of," Weiss offered feebly. Of course Ruby would show up now. Weiss wondered how disheveled she looked. She reached up and tried to straighten her hair surreptitiously. She glanced at her shoes but quickly decided there wasn't a way to get them back on without calling undue attention to them. She hadn't been crying had she? She didn't think so. Hopefully her eyes weren't red and puffy.

"What're you doing sitting around in the dark?" Ruby asked.

Thinking quickly, Weiss said, "I prefer the ambiance this way." It was mostly true. The firelight did set the mood for her sitting around and feeling sorry for herself.

"I guess it is kind of romantic," Ruby said.

"What?" Weiss sputtered. A surge of panic shot through her. What did Ruby mean by that?

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately for Weiss, Ruby immediately switched topics. "Yang and Blake sure looked happy together! Isn't it great?"

"Yes, I suppose it is," Weiss said. Her heart rate slowly returned to normal. This was just ridiculous. She'd at least been able to keep herself outwardly composed around Ruby since their reunion. She'd even endured Yang's crass teasing with relative grace. Now it seemed she could barely handle something as simple as being alone in a room with Ruby. She had to figure out a way to fix this, lest the situation get completely out of hand.

"You should've seen Yang when she was trying to find something to wear. It was so funny," Ruby said as she started babbling.

Ruby kept on talking. Weiss's eyes slowly drifted over her. Ruby had changed since Weiss had first met her. She was slightly taller, and her figure was just a little bit fuller. They were small, subtle changes, but they were impossible for Weiss to ignore. It was getting harder and harder to think of Ruby as a child rather than the young woman she was rapidly becoming.

"…figure it out, but I guess it was obvious. What do you think, Weiss?" Ruby asked.

Weiss realized that she'd missed most of what Ruby had said. "I, uh…I think…" she fumbled helplessly.

"Are you feeling alright?" Ruby asked. "You've been kind of off tonight."

"I'm fine," Weiss insisted. She was getting tired of people asking her that.

"Alright. If you say so," Ruby said. "So I've been thinking. You never did tell me who your crush was."

"My…my crush?" Weiss stammered. For the second time in as many minutes her panic rose. Where was all this coming from? Weiss started to wish she'd ordered a second glass of wine.

"I know you said it wasn't a good time to talk about it the last time, and you were right, but we've got plenty of time now!" Ruby said.

"I don't think…. That's not really an appropriate topic of discussion," Weiss said.

"Ah come on, Weiss," Ruby said.

Weiss wondered if Ruby was playing some kind of sick joke on her. Did she somehow know about her feelings? Was this her way of goading her into confessing? Weiss searched Ruby's face, but there was nothing there other than a sparkle of excited anticipation in her eyes. Weiss quickly realized that Ruby was not the type to toy with her on purpose. If she knew, she would've just come out and said it.

"Why do you even want to know?" Weiss asked.

"You've seen how happy Yang and Blake make each other," Ruby said. "Wouldn't it be great if you had someone like that too? So fess up! Who are you crushing on?"

Weiss understood what was going on now. Helping out Yang and Blake on their first date had inspired Ruby. She wasn't done playing matchmaker, and Weiss was her next victim. Weiss wasn't sure what she'd done to earn such a cruel fate.

Weiss knew she needed to do something to placate Ruby, so she said, "It doesn't really matter who it is."

"Of course it matters!" Ruby said. Suddenly her voice turned somber. "When I was over in Haven, I talked to Jaune a lot. He never said anything at all about…Pyrrha. But one night he told me that just before she…before she went to fight Cinder, she kissed him. He'd had no idea how she'd felt."

"He didn't?" Weiss asked.

"No. And that's why it matters," Ruby said with a stern look on her face. "If you never tell someone how you feel, they'll never know."

Weiss was taken aback. She hadn't seen this side of Ruby before. In all probability, no one had, not even Yang. Ruby was always so upbeat and cheery, even after the battle at Beacon, that it was easy to forget what she'd been through.

Words formed on Weiss's lips and stuck there. She felt like she was standing at the edge of a great precipice and the smallest of steps would send her plummeting into a bottomless abyss.

"Is it Neptune?" Ruby asked suddenly. The cheer was back in her voice. "You two got along pretty good at the dance. You know, after he agreed to go with you. After it was half over."

Weiss blinked in surprise at the question. She said, "No, Ruby. It's not Neptune."

"Mmm…how about Ren?" Ruby asked.

"No," Weiss said, sighing wearily. She could see where this was going.

"Cardin?"

"Why would you even think that?"

"How about Sun?"

"No."

"Nora?"

"No!"

"Uh…Jaune?"

"No!" Weiss said. Her patience was rapidly running out. Ruby had unwittingly been tugging on her heartstrings since she'd entered the room. This childish guessing game on top of it all was more than she could take.

Ruby dropped her voice to a whisper, "It's not Blake or Yang, is it?"

"No!" Weiss said, at her wit's end. "It's you, you dolt!"

Weiss's eyes went wide when she realized what she'd just said. Her face drained of color. She suddenly felt dizzy.

"It's…me?" Ruby said, sounding utterly confused. "Really?"

Weiss realized she still had a slim chance to save herself. Maybe she could deny it, or laugh it off as a joke, but to her horror, she heard herself say, "Yes. It's you."

"Really?" Ruby repeated.

"Yes really!" Weiss said.

"But…why?" Ruby asked.

Weiss squeezed her eyes shut. Of course Ruby would find a way to make this as difficult as possible. Weiss took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. "I might ask you the same question," she said. "You were awfully eager to be my friend when we first met."

"Yeah, I guess…" Ruby said. "I guess I just wanted to impress you at first. You know, because of how we got off on the wrong foot. I knew I could do better. But then, well, you're just so cool! Er…no pun intended. You know so much, and you're just so…confident. No matter what happens, you're always like, 'I got this.'"

Weiss almost wanted to laugh. She really had Ruby fooled. It was nice to know the air of self-confidence she very deliberately projected had convinced at least one person.

"I mean, who wouldn't want to be your friend?" Ruby asked. "Well, I guess a lot of people don't, but that's cause they don't know the real you!"

"Thanks…" Weiss said. Ruby was definitely related to Yang. At least she had slightly more tact that her sister, if only just.

"But you're crushing on…me?" Ruby asked.

Weiss looked down at her feet. She took a deep breath and said, "Every time I meet someone, the moment they learn who I am, they have a plan for me. They want to use me. They want to earn my favor. They brand me as a symbol. You're the only person who's wanted to be my friend just to be my friend."

"What about Yang and Blake?" Ruby asked.

"They only cared about me after we were put on the same team together," Weiss said. She knew that was mostly her fault. She hadn't been very approachable when she'd first started at Beacon.

"I guess I see what you mean," Ruby said. "But we are friends now, right?"

"Yes we are," Weiss said.

"So what does that have to do with you crushing on me?" Ruby asked.

"It's…" Weiss started. How could she explain her feelings to Ruby? The truth was, she didn't fully understand them herself. "Maybe that's just it. We're friends. I trust you. I believe in you. Other than Winter, there's no one else in this world I can say that about. Not even Yang or Blake, at least, not to the same degree. Is it really so surprising that I…care for you?"

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Ruby asked.

"Many reasons," Weiss said. "Plus when you're attracted to someone of your own gender, the odds aren't very good that they're attracted to you back."

"Oh. Yeah. Well…" Ruby fidgeted nervously.

Weiss braced herself. This was the part she'd hoped to avoid more than any other. Ruby was about to tell her that she wasn't attracted to girls.

"I guess now that I think about it, I haven't ever been attracted to anyone before," Ruby said. "Not in, you know, that way."

That wasn't what Weiss had been expecting to hear, but it was none the less devastating. "It's okay, Ruby. I…" she started.

"But maybe…" Ruby said, then stopped.

Weiss's breath caught in her throat. Had she heard that right? She didn't dare so much as make a sound until Ruby finished her thought.

"Maybe…" Ruby started again. She sounded very hesitant at first, but she picked up confidence as she kept talking. "Maybe if it was you, I could be. That'd be…yeah. That'd be okay."

Weiss had no idea how to respond. She wasn't even sure how to interpret what Ruby had just said.

"Weiss!" Ruby jumped up off the couch excitedly. "We should go on a date!"

"You want to go on a date?" Weiss asked, utterly shocked.

"Yeah! Isn't that what you do if you want to find out if you like someone? Like, in that way?" Ruby asked.

"I guess it is," Weiss said.

"Then let's go on a date!" Ruby said. "I mean, if you want to."

"I…yes!" Weiss said.

"Great! Tomorrow? Five o'clock?" Ruby asked.

"That sounds wonderful," Weiss said.

"Alright!" Ruby said. Then she assumed what she probably thought was a formal tone. "You may meet me at my room at five o'clock tomorrow. Don't be late!"

Ruby sped out of the room in a flash of rose petals.

Weiss was absolutely stunned. She sat there for a long time, so confused about what to feel that she didn't feel much of anything. She had a date with Ruby. She had a date with Ruby tomorrow. This simple fact echoed endlessly in the halls of her mind.

Weiss reached for her scroll so she could call Sven. She definitely needed a second glass of wine.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_ _Dang it, Weiss! I said no more angst! I blame you for this!_

 _It's time for a confession on my part. I had no intention to write any White Rose into_ Missing Pieces _. It just kind of happened. I blame Weiss for that as well. It wasn't because I don't like White Rose. (See the White Rose tag on my tumblr if you don't believe me.) But because my preferred depiction of Ruby is asexual/aromantic._

 _You can only ship tease something for so long until you've got to bite the bullet and actually go through with it though. So I came up with a compromise: portray Ruby as demisexual. (I'm pretty sure that's the correct term for what I'm going for. There's probably a more specific one out there. Feel free to correct me.)_

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn._


	3. An Intimate Evening

**Chapter 3: An Intimate Evening**

It was well past midnight by the time Yang and Blake made it back to the Schnee mansion. Blake was guiding Yang through the mansion's guest wing by the hand. The lights were off, but the moon was shining through skylights overhead, painting the space in a checkerboard of pale light and long shadows.

Yang had a big smile on her face. Blake's mood had improved considerably over the course of the evening. She seemed to be making a concerted effort to be good to her word and put what had happened to Yang behind her. The gargantuan halibut she'd ordered for dinner had probably helped too. Yang didn't know you could get fish that big, much less eat the whole thing yourself.

After dinner, Blake had taken Yang on a driving tour of all the little, forgotten corners of Atlas she'd discovered. Yang had been amused. Leave it to Blake to find a way for the two of them to be alone in the heart of a big city. It had been nice though. For a few wonderful hours, the world had been perfect, and they'd been the only people in it who'd mattered.

All in all, it had been a wonderful first date, and as far as Yang was concerned, it wasn't over yet. Yang tugged Blake to a stop in front of the door to her room. When Blake turned to her, Yang grinned coyly and asked, "My place or yours, pretty lady?"

"I was thinking mine, but yours is right here," Blake said with a smile.

Yang was surprised by Blake's quick comeback. Blake usually just blushed whenever Yang did anything remotely suggestive. Yang hoped she wasn't losing her touch. She'd have to try harder in the future.

"My place it is," Yang said. She put her hand on the doorknob, but then she remembered that all of her clothes were still scattered about the room. "Actually, we better use your room. Mine's a bit of a mess," Yang said. She grabbed Blake and pulled her farther down the hallway.

"Why is it a mess?" Blake asked.

"No reason!" Yang said.

Yang paused in front of Blake's door. "After you," she said.

Blake opened the door, walked inside, and turned on a lamp. She took off her greatcoat, threw it on a convenient chair, and kicked off her boots. Then she turned around a saw that Yang was still standing out in the hallway.

"What are you doing?" Blake asked.

"I never enter a lady's room uninvited," Yang said from the doorway.

"Liar," Blake said.

Yang laughed. She leaned against the doorframe and put her hand on her hip.

Blake rolled her eyes with amusement. She said, "Would you like to come in?"

"I'd love too," Yang said. She walked inside and closed the door behind her.

Yang shrugged out of her jacket and set it on top of Blake's coat.

Blake pointed at Ember Celica. "Do you want help with your bracelet?"

"Why Miss Belladonna! How forward of you!" Yang teased. "I don't let just anyone take off my bracelet you know."

Blake chuckled. "I'd ask why you even wore it, but I have a pretty good idea."

"Oh you know me so well," Yang said. She held out her arm for Blake.

Blake unclasped Ember Celica. It joined the growing collection of clothing on the chair. "How about your boots?" Blake asked. "Need help with those?"

"Nope! Watch this!" Yang said. She reached down and undid the buckles quick as a flash. She tugged at the boots one at a time with her hand, hopping around a bit as she did, until they were both off.

"Ta-da!" Yang said proudly.

"Very impressive," Blake said.

"Impressive enough for a reward?" Yang asked, waggling her eyebrows.

Blake smirked. "I suppose so." She slipped an arm around Yang and drew in close. Their lips met, and they indulged in a long, leisurely kiss.

When the kiss ended, Blake kept her arm around Yang. Yang could feel Blake's fingers running across her braid. Blake had been doing that all night whenever she'd gotten the opportunity. Yang said, "You really like my hair like this, don't you?"

"It's nice," Blake said.

Yang glanced around the room. She spied a comfortable looking chair sitting next to one of the windows. "Come here," Yang said and led Blake to the chair. Yang sat down, reached over her shoulder, and pulled her braid around front. She patted her lap and said, "Have a seat."

"That's really, uh, not…" Blake said, trailing off. Embarrassment and yearning both flitted across her face.

"Ah, don't be shy, Blakey," Yang said. She could see how much Blake wanted to take her up on her offer.

Blake finally capitulated. She sat herself down in Yang's lap and rested her head on Yang's shoulder. Her fingers twined around Yang's braid and she began to idly play with it.

Yang slowly ran her hand up and down Blake's back. She was certain that Blake would've been purring loudly if she'd been capable of it. For that matter, Yang would've been too. She couldn't help but wonder if this was even real. It seemed too perfect to be anything other than a dream. It was hard to believe that a month or so ago she'd been lying in bed, wallowing in her own misery. What a waste of time that'd been.

Blake's fingers slowed to a stop. Yang wondered if Blake had fallen asleep until Blake lifted her head and smiled softly at Yang.

Blake leaned forward and kissed Yang again. Yang let herself get lost in Blake's lips. There was no question now; this had to be a dream. Yang hoped she'd never wake up.

Blake broke the kiss and rested her head on Yang's shoulder once again.

Yang said, "I'm so glad that…well…"

"You're so glad that what?" Blake asked.

"I really didn't think you'd be into girls," Yang said.

"Why'd you think that?" Blake asked, sounding very curious.

"I've got a really good gaydar," Yang said.

Blake scoffed. "Sure you do."

"I do!" yang insisted. "You've seen them. I call them Lefty and Righty!"

Blake laughed. "Yang, your breasts are not a gaydar."

"Sure they are," Yang said. "Everyone stares at them. Even Weiss sneaks a peek now and then when she thinks I won't notice. I can get a pretty good read on people by how often they look."

"So why didn't you think I was into girls?" Blake asked.

"Cause you never looked," Yang said. "Ever."

An impish grin spread across Blake's lips. "Or maybe you just never caught me," she said.

Yang's eyebrows shot up. "You sneaky little fiend!" she said. "I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on you."

"You can try," Blake said.

Yang chuckled. "Alright. It's on."

"Actually, I didn't know what I was into. Not for a long time." Blake said, sounding more somber all of a sudden.

"Why not?" Yang asked.

"When you live like I did, as an outcast, you do what you have to do," Blake said. "What you want comes second to what you need. There just wasn't time to think about it."

"Oh," Yang said. She'd never really considered what Blake's life was like before Beacon. It wasn't that she didn't care; she just didn't see how it mattered. Blake was who Blake was. If she wanted to talk about her past that was fine, and if she didn't that was fine too. But now that the topic had been broached, there was one thing Yang had to know. She asked, "Did, uh…did anyone ever…?"

"No one ever forced themself on me, if that's what you're asking," Blake said. "But there were some people…. No. I can't regret any of it anymore. It was a long journey getting where I am today, but it was all worth it. It led me here to you."

"Blake…" Yang said.

Blake lifted her head and looked Yang in the eye. Yang had expected to see tears, but there weren't any. Blake's face was full of steady confidence. Her eye spoke very clearly. She was exactly where she wanted to be.

"I guess I can say the same thing," Yang said.

"Thank you," Blake said softly.

Yang's eyes slowly drifted upward to Blake's bow. As silly as it sounded, Yang often forgot that Blake was a faunus. It no more defined Blake for her than her hair being black or her eyes being amber. But there was one thing Yang had wanted to do since she'd first seen Blake's ears. Yang bit her lip. Now was probably not the appropriate time to bring it up.

"Whatever it is, you can ask me," Blake said.

Yang hadn't realized Blake had gotten so good at reading her. Then again, Blake had known about Yang's feelings for her long before she'd admitted them. Maybe Blake had always been good at reading her. She supposed it was too late to back out now. She asked, "Can I touch your ears?"

Blake looked surprised at the request.

"It's okay if you don't want me to," Yang said. "I'll understand."

"No, it's okay," Blake said. "And you didn't have to worry about asking."

"Well yeah, but, you know," Yang said.

Blake took Yang's hand and guided it up to her bow. She let Yang grab one end of the ribbon while she took the other. Together they pulled the knot apart and freed Blake's ears.

Yang brushed her finger lightly over the tip of Blake's right ear. It twitched involuntarily at the touch. "Was that okay?" Yang asked. She was strangely terrified that she was going to do something wrong.

"It'll be okay, just so long as you're gentle," Blake said.

"Of course," Yang said. She ran her finger along the outside of Blake's ear. The feel of it was marvelous. It was soft like the finest velvet. Yang felt like she was touching something beautifully delicate. She supposed in some ways that was true, but in others it was not. She knew just how strong Blake could be.

Yang let her hand drift down to Blake's cheek. "Thank you," she said.

Blake took Yang's hand and kissed it. "Thank you. No one's ever seen my ears quite like you do."

Yang smiled. She pulled Blake close and looked deep into her eyes. "Now I have another question for you."

"What is it?" Blake asked.

Yang whispered into Blake's ear. "Will you let me make love to you?"

Yang heard Blake's breath catch. Her arms wrapped around Yang's shoulder and she whispered back, "Always."

"Then hold on tight!" Yang said. She slipped her arm underneath Blake and lifted her up as she stood.

Blake laughed in surprise, and her arms tightened around Yang's shoulders. "Yang! What are you doing?"

"Carrying you to bed!" Yang said.

Yang didn't waste any time crossing the room. When she got to the bed, she didn't so much set Blake down as dump her onto the mattress. It was the best she could manage with one arm. Fortunately, Blake was laughing the whole way.

"See! Who says you need two hands to do that!" Yang said proudly.

Blake sat up in the bed. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She said, "But can you get me undressed with only one hand?"

Yang grinned wide. Maybe Blake was just caught up in the moment, but if she was comfortable enough to make jokes about Yang's arm, then this evening had been a rousing success. "I don't know," Yang said. "Let's find out."

* * *

Yang laid herself down next to Blake and snuggled up to her side. "Did you like that, Blakey?" she asked.

"Yes," Blake sighed happily. "You're very good at that."

"Just you wait until I really figure out how to use my left hand," Yang said.

"I can't wait," Blake said. She stifled a yawn.

"Tired already?" Yang asked.

"If I am, it's your fault," Blake said.

"Too bad. I was hoping to get to at least round two," Yang teased.

"I don't think that's going to happen. You haven't even had a turn yet," Blake said.

"It's not about taking turns," Yang said. "You don't ever have to keep score with me."

"Well maybe I should say, _I_ haven't had a turn yet," Blake said.

"Oh, ho ho," Yang said, smirking. "Somebody's feeling feisty."

Despite the teasing tone in Yang's voice, she was touched. She'd always been proud of her looks. Maybe it was vain of her, but she couldn't help it if she had a great body. After the battle at Beacon however, Yang had been wracked with the fear that no one would ever find her attractive again. But Blake still wanted her just as she was. Blake saw her as a whole person, and Yang loved her all the more for it.

Yang looked Blake over. As tempting as it was to take Blake up on her offer, she really did look tired. Between riding all over Atlas, dinner, all the emotional ups and downs of the evening, and the late hour, Yang wasn't surprised.

"I'll tell you what," Yang said. "First thing tomorrow morning, I'll let you have your way with me."

"You know I'm not a morning person," Blake said.

"I bet you would be with the right…motivation," Yang said.

"Alright," Blake said. "You have a deal."

"I can't wait," Yang said. "And before you fall asleep, there something else that can't wait any longer."

"What is it?" Blake asked.

Yang got out of bed. She padded over to the chair her jacket was on.

"Yang?" Blake asked, confused.

Yang returned to bed. She had the right half of Ember Celica in her hand. "I want you to hold on to this for me," Yang said.

"Your gauntlet?" Blake asked. "I don't know if I can accept that."

"Of course you can," Yang said. "Until I get my robo-arm back, I want you to keep it safe."

"Okay. I will," Blake said. She held out her arm.

Yang opened the bracelet's clasp and slipped it around Blake's wrist. Blake used her other hand to lock it in place.

"Thank you," Yang said. She kissed Blake on the cheek.

Blake held out her wrist and looked at Ember Celica. "I'll take good care of it," she said.

Yang rested her head on Blake's shoulder. "I know you will."

* * *

 _Author's Note: I know a lot of writers like to give Blake various cat-like traits (e.g. the ability to purr, an addiction to catnip, etc.) and it can be very adorable, but I decided against going that route. Although I guess Blake playing with Yang's braid is the equivalent of a cat playing with a ball of yarn. And it is also adorable._

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn._


	4. A Beautiful Disaster

**Chapter 4: A Beautiful Disaster**

Weiss had spent almost her entire childhood living in the Schnee mansion, but she'd never really thought of it as her home. Her bedroom was the only place in it that she could truly call her own. It'd been her sanctuary whenever the life of an heiress who was never allowed to be anything less than perfect was too much to bear. Right now, however, there was no peace to be found in Weiss's room. It, or more precisely its occupant, was the epicenter of a raging storm.

From the moment Weiss had gotten up this morning, she'd been a whirlwind of activity. She couldn't believe how foolish she'd been last night! One day wasn't enough time to properly plan a date with Ruby! What had she been thinking? It was too late to back out now, however. Weiss didn't want Ruby to think that she was having second thoughts. Their date would be tonight or it would be never.

Weiss had barely stopped to so much as breathe in order to get ready in time. Venues had been called. Reviews had been consulted. Plans had been made, adjusted, rejected, and made again. Weiss's first date with Ruby was something that would only happen once, and she was determined to get it right.

Weiss checked the clock on the wall. There were only a few minutes left until five o'clock. Ruby would be expecting her soon. Weiss stepped in front of the large mirror sitting on top of her dresser. At the very least, she could be confident that she looked good. Her hair was pulled back into a proper ponytail instead of her usual side tail. She had on a dress that Ruby hadn't seen before. It was one she'd purchased very recently. It was long sleeved with a full-length skirt and lavender in color, fading to an ice blue toward the bottom. The fabric was of the highest quality and almost seemed to sparkle. A white sash and a pair of matching high heels completed the outfit. Weiss had liked the dress so much when she'd first seen it that she'd ordered a second one with a combat skirt.

In order to avoid a repeat of the incident with Yang yesterday, Weiss had sent Sven, armed with her card, to chauffeur Ruby around on a tour of Atlas's finest clothing boutiques. Sven had strict orders to make sure Ruby found something nice to wear that she liked.

Weiss smoothed out the last of the imagined wrinkles in her dress. She looked down at a framed photograph sitting on her dresser. It was a group shot of Team RWBY that Yang had taken with her scroll about halfway through the last semester. Weiss picked it up. Everyone was smiling in it, even her. She'd looked at it often since her return to Atlas. It'd been her reminder that there was a better life out there beyond the walls of the Schnee mansion waiting for her someday.

Weiss set the photograph down resolutely. As far as she was concerned that better life started today. It was time to go get Ruby.

Weiss left her room and headed to the mansion's guest wing. Fear and excitement were waging war within her, and she wasn't sure which one was winning. Yesterday, she'd thought going on a date with Ruby was nothing more than a foolish fantasy, but here she was about to do just that. However, when the date had just been a fantasy there was nothing that could've gone wrong. Now there were all manner of catastrophes just waiting to happen.

All too quickly, Weiss found herself standing in front of Ruby's door. She raised her hand to knock, only to find that it was trembling. Weiss took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Last night Ruby had said that she admired Weiss's confidence, therefore she would be confident. If only it were as easily said as done.

Weiss screwed up her courage and knocked on Ruby's door.

"I'll be ready in just a minute!" Ruby's voice called out.

Weiss scowled. Sven had sent her a message over three hours ago that he and Ruby had arrived back at the mansion. There was no way Ruby wasn't ready yet. Weiss recalled Yang's comment yesterday about making her dates wait in order to build up the anticipation. Surely Ruby wouldn't do that, would she?

Weiss heard a faint snickering coming from just on the other side of the door. She sighed. Of course Ruby would. Weiss tapped her foot impatiently. The emotional turmoil inside her grew more intense with each passing moment. It was probably not the effect Ruby had intended.

Just when Weiss was about to knock again, the door opened. Ruby was standing there. "Hi Weiss! Oh wow! That dress is so pretty!" she said.

"Thank you," Weiss said. "You look…why are you still wearing your hood?"

Along with her omnipresent hood, Ruby was wearing the fruits of her shopping trip with Sven. She had on a new corset and combat skirt, both were black with red trim, and a white blouse with billowy sleeves that were kept in check by leather bracers. She still had her old boots on, but she'd exchanged her full-length stockings for ones that ended just below her skirt.

"Why would you even want to go on a date with me if I wasn't wearing my hood?" Ruby asked.

Unbelievably, Weiss found herself unable to argue against Ruby's logic, inane as it was.

"But thanks for the new clothes!" Ruby said. She grabbed the ends of her cloak and did a twirl. "Do you like them?"

"They're very you," Weiss said.

"In a good way?" Ruby asked.

"In a good way," Weiss said. Much like Ruby herself, the outfit was just a little bit more grown up. Weiss's eyes were drawn to the neckline on Ruby's blouse. It was cut much lower than her old one. It wasn't low enough to be especially daring, but it did expose just a hint of the swell of Ruby's chest.

Weiss realized too late that she was staring at Ruby's breasts. Her eyes slammed up. "D-did Yang help you pick them out?" she blurted out before she could think better of it.

"No. I haven't even had a chance to tell her we're going on a date," Ruby said. "I haven't seen her all day."

"You have, uh, good taste then," Weiss said.

"Thanks!" Ruby said. "So…I guess it's time to go do our date thing."

"Ah, yes," Weiss said. She held out her arm.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked.

"I'm offering you my arm," Weiss said.

"Oh, right!" Ruby said. "I wasn't supposed to do that, was I?"

"I…don't know," Weiss said. She was surprised. It wasn't like her to be lacking in her knowledge of social protocol. But then again, she'd never been instructed on the modes and mores of a date between two women.

"In that case, I humbly accept your arm," Ruby said in what Weiss had come to recognize as her "serious" voice.

Ruby latched on to Weiss's arm like an excited puppy. It wasn't exactly proper form. Weiss knew Father wouldn't approve. Then again, Father wouldn't approve of anything that was happening tonight. Weiss felt a little guilty at how much joy that thought brought her. She didn't want to believe that she was using Ruby to get some sort of petty revenge. Weiss decided that she would worry about Father later. He wasn't here, and he didn't know. So long as both those things were true, everything would work out.

Weiss said, "There's a limousine waiting out front for us."

"Alright! Let's go!" Ruby cheered.

Weiss escorted Ruby to the mansion's front door. The limo was waiting for them as promised. Once Weiss and Ruby were seated inside, Weiss signaled to the driver. He'd been briefed on the evening's itinerary, so he already knew where to go. Soft music was playing over the limo's sound system. Weiss had spent a good hour fretting over just what kind to use. It had to be romantic but not overtly sensual. She didn't want to give Ruby the wrong message.

"I still can believe you have limousines. As in limousines, plural," Ruby said. "Back on Patch we didn't even have a car."

"Not any kind of car at all?" Weiss asked.

"Nope," Ruby said. "But it's a small island. We never had any trouble getting anywhere."

Weiss knew that Ruby wasn't rich, but to not own a car was almost unimaginable to her. It really served to highlight just how vast the gulf between her and Ruby's worlds really was.

"It doesn't bother you, does it?" Weiss asked.

"Why would it? It's fun to get driven around everywhere," Ruby said.

"Not the limo. I meant my family's wealth," Weiss said.

"Oh," Ruby said. "Not really. I've never really thought about it."

Weiss wouldn't have believed that coming from anyone else but Ruby. It'd probably never even occurred to her that an unwedded heiress like Weiss was a gateway to the vast fortunes of the Schnee Family. Maybe that was another reason why Weiss was so taken with Ruby.

Several minutes passed, and the streets of Atlas rolled by outside the limo's windows. Neither Ruby nor Weiss said anything, and the silence started growing awkward. Weiss wasn't sure what to do. She'd never been good at small talk. Ordinarily, she could rely on Ruby to fill in the gaps in a conversation, but Ruby was being decidedly quiet. Maybe the music made it okay to not talk, Weiss hoped, but Ruby didn't seem to be listening.

Fortunately, Ruby finally spoke again. "So are we supposed to hold hands or kiss or something?"

Weiss's face flushed. "Kiss?" she stammered.

"I've never been on a date before like you have," Ruby said. "I don't know what to do."

"Kissing isn't usually appropriate on a first date," Weiss said.

"Oh," Ruby said. "Too bad, I was looking forward to trying it."

Weiss immediately regretted shooting down the idea. "I supposed we could," she said.

"Nope!" Ruby's said. "We're going to do this date thing the right way."

"That's…probably for the best," Weiss said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

"How about holding hands? Is that okay on a first date?" Ruby asked.

"Of course," Weiss said.

Without any further prompting, Ruby took Weiss's hand in her own. "You're so soft!" she said. She brought Weiss's hand up and rubbed it against her cheek.

"Th-thank you," Weiss said, a bit befuddled. It was utterly humiliating how powerful an effect the simple act of Ruby nuzzling her hand was having on her. Physical affection was not something to be found in great abundance within the Schnee Family, and so Weiss had no defense against it. She felt like she'd been given food for the first time only to realize just how hungry she was.

Ruby sniffed curiously. "Is that your perfume?" she asked.

"Yes," Weiss said, trying to bring herself back under control. "It's from Christoph Roz's newest line."

"It smells nice," Ruby said. "I didn't even think about wearing perfume."

"I can get you some, if you'd like," Weiss said.

"That'd be great!" Ruby said. She finally let Weiss's hand drop from her cheek, although she didn't let go.

There was once again a lull in the conversation, although it didn't feel so awkward this time. Weiss was grateful. She needed a moment to collect her thoughts.

Ruby definitely seemed excited, and Weiss was glad for that. But more than anything Ruby seemed to be curious. Weiss had a good idea why. Last night Ruby had admitted that she'd never been attracted to anyone before. This was an experiment for her, done mostly to see what would happen. For Weiss, however, this was very serious. The kind of social circles she kept precluded her from meeting women her own age for anything resembling courtship. Ruby was her best, and maybe her only chance to find a love she could return. She had to show Ruby that they could work as a couple, and she had to do it tonight.

"So where are we going?" Ruby asked.

"Dinner first. And then to the theater," Weiss said.

"That sounds like good date stuff," Ruby said.

"Of course," Weiss said.

"Ah Weiss, this is going to be great!" Ruby said.

"Yes it will," Weiss said. It had to be.

* * *

Ruby didn't let go of Weiss's hand all the way to the restaurant. She didn't let go when they got out of the car and went inside. She didn't even let go when they were being shown to their table. Weiss was a bit embarrassed by the whole thing. She and Ruby looked like adolescents, awkwardly fumbling their way through their first tentative steps into the world of romance. It didn't matter how dangerously close that was to the absolute truth; appearances were still important.

Weiss knew that Ruby would've let go if she'd asked her too, but the happy smile on Ruby's face was enough to convince her not to. Despite the awkward display they were putting on, Weiss was confident that everything would go smoothly from here on out.

The restaurant Weiss had brought Ruby to was known as Der Palast. It was the most premier five-star restaurant in all of Atlas. Through a combination of her family's influence, bribery, threats, and sheer determination, Weiss had managed to secure a last-minute reservation. It'd been difficult, but anything that might make this date go well was worth it.

"This place sure is fancy," Ruby whispered to Weiss as the hostess guided them to their table.

Ruby's assessment didn't do the restaurant justice. The large dining area was decorated in plush, hand-woven carpets and detailed with intricate wood paneling on the walls. Round marble columns rose up at regular intervals, drawing the eye to the masterfully crafted fresco of a cloudscape that covered the whole ceiling. As if the décor wasn't enough, there was also a live string quartet playing soft, serenading music.

The hostess plucked a sign that read "Reserved" from a table by the windows and motioned for Weiss and Ruby to sit. As soon as they'd been seated, napkins were placed in their laps and the hostess vanished.

A well-dressed man appeared at the table. "Good evening madams," he said. "I will be your garçon tonight. May I start you with something to drink?"

"Just water for the both of us," Weiss said before Ruby could order milk. Der Palast prided itself on catering to a refined clientele with refined palates. One did not order something like milk here.

"Very good," the garçon said. "Please peruse our menu and let me know if there is anything you require."

The garçon bowed and left.

"Wow! What a view," Ruby said, looking out the window.

"I thought you might like it," Weiss said. She had selected this table on purpose. Just outside the window was the Albrecht River that ran through the heart of Atlas. Even in winter its water still flowed and the evergreen trees that lined its banks were still picturesque.

Weiss turned her attention to the leather-bound menu on the table in front of her. Most of the old favorites were still there, although the chef had added a few new items since she'd been here last. Maybe she would try something new tonight.

"This food is, uh, pretty fancy too," Ruby said.

"Yes. The blinis caviar and the sea urchin are especially good," Weiss said.

"The what?" Ruby asked, sounding lost.

Weiss looked up. Ruby was studying the menu with a consternated look on her face. Weiss suddenly realized that she may have made a huge mistake. The food served here was not the kind Ruby was accustom to.

A pang of panic shot through Weiss, but she forced herself to remain calm. She folded her hands in her lap and said, "If you don't see anything you like, we could go somewhere else."

"No, it's okay," Ruby said. "I'll just have what you're having."

"Right," Weiss said. She began to frantically search the menu for something Ruby would like.

The garçon returned and set two glasses of water on the table. "Have madams decided what they would like this evening?"

"I'll have the…veal," Weiss said.

"Uh, me too," Ruby said. "Whatever that is."

"An excellent choice," the garçon said. "I will have it to you shortly."

Weiss wasn't so sure it was an excellent choice, but it was the best she could find. Ruby liked hamburgers. Veal was almost the same thing as a hamburger, right? Although the marinade had sounded a bit exotic. And it would be best if Ruby never discovered what veal was exactly.

The food arrived shortly. Weiss was on the edge of her seat, but she feigned disinterest. She took her knife and fork and cut into her food, all the while keeping an eye on Ruby.

Ruby cut off a big hunk of her veal and popped it into her mouth. She paused and her face twisted into a grimace.

Weiss felt her stomach twist into knots. "You don't like it?"

"No, it's…" Ruby swallowed very deliberately. "It's good. I, uh, yeah."

Ruby cut off a second, much smaller piece and unenthusiastically chewed on it.

Weiss set her utensils down. She hadn't taken a bite, but she wasn't hungry anymore. Dinner was officially a disaster, but she knew a way to salvage at least a little bit of it. She flagged down the garçon. Before he could even ask what was needed, she said, "Bring us a strawberry cheesecake. Don't bother with slices, just bring us the whole thing."

* * *

About an hour later, Weiss and Ruby were taking their seats in the Schnee Family's private box at the Atlas Theater of Fine Arts. The theater was the jewel of Atlas's culture center. Many plays now considered timeless classics had first been performed there. It was every bit Der Palast's equal in terms of renowned, and Weiss was desperately hoping it would succeed where Der Palast had failed.

Ruby was bouncing up and down on her plush seat. Weiss suspected she still had a sugar high from having eaten more than her fair share of the cheesecake.

"I'm sorry about dinner," Weiss said. If she'd been thinking clearly when she'd been caught up in all her planning maybe she could have avoided such a stupid mistake.

"Ah it's alright, Weiss," Ruby said, finally settling down in her seat. "The cake was nice! And the rest of it wasn't that bad."

Weiss gave Ruby a look that made it clear she didn't believe her.

"Alright, it was that bad," Ruby admitted. "Do you really eat food like that all the time?"

"Not all the time," Weiss said. "Although my family does dine there regularly."

"I guess that explains why you complained so much about the cafeteria food at Beacon," Ruby said.

"I didn't complain!" Weiss insisted.

"Uh-huh," Ruby said.

"I mean, I didn't complain often," Weiss said. "Was it really too much to ask that they serve us a decent meal?"

Ruby snickered. "That's the Weiss I know."

"Hmph," Weiss said, although she was happy to see that Ruby was still in good spirits.

"So it's just the two of us in this box, huh," Ruby said.

"That's right," Weiss said.

"Does that mean I'm supposed to, uh, try something?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby Rose!" Weiss said. "Where did you get an idea like that?"

"I don't know?" Ruby said sheepishly. "I don't really know what that means. It seemed like something Yang would say."

"I'm not sure if Yang is the best role model for dating," Weiss said.

"But she's got a lot of experience," Ruby said.

Weiss had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. She was certain Ruby didn't mean that like it'd sounded. She said, "Ruby, I don't like you because you're like Yang. I like you because you're you. So just be you."

"Ah, thanks Weiss," Ruby said. Weiss was amazed to actually see Ruby blush.

"Just be me. Right. I can do that," Ruby said. "Can I hold your hand again? That was kind of nice."

"You don't have to ask permission," Weiss said.

Ruby scooped up Weiss's hand in her own. Weiss was grateful to have something to hold on to, both figuratively and literally. Maybe Ruby was still nothing more than curious, but Weiss would take whatever she could get. Ruby was right about one thing though; holding hands was nice.

The lights began to dim. Weiss had high hopes for the play. The reviews for it had been extremely positive. The playwright, Alben Schwarzwald, was famous worldwide, and many were already saying that he'd outdone himself with this latest work.

The play turned out to be in the style of the ancient Vytalian dramas, with minimalistic sets and long soliloquies. Weiss could see why the play had garnered such glowing reviews. It used its Vytalian style to accentuate its themes of isolation and loneliness, and Weiss found the story very engaging. She was relieved that something was going right tonight.

About halfway through the play, Ruby's hand slipped out of Weiss's. Weiss looked over and saw that Ruby was fast asleep. Her head was resting on her own shoulder and she was lightly snoring. Weiss would have found it adorable in any other circumstance, but here and now Ruby might as well have kicked her in the gut. Ruby had found the play so boring, she'd fallen asleep.

Weiss was absolutely devastated. She slumped back into her seat. It was over. She'd utterly failed. After feeding Ruby food she didn't like and then boring her to sleep, there was no way Ruby would agree to go on a second date, much less anything beyond that.

Weiss sat there and let the actor's words wash over her unheard. The play no longer interested her. She supposed there was no reason not to wake Ruby up and take her home, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was on a date with Ruby, and she didn't want it to end.

* * *

The limo ride back to the Schnee mansion was excruciating for Weiss. Barely a word was exchanged between her and Ruby. When they got to the mansion, Weiss silently led Ruby inside. She was ready to retreat into some dark corner and disappear forever, but she couldn't run away just yet. She had to see this date through to its bitter, bitter end, and it wasn't over until she'd taken Ruby back to her room.

Weiss didn't even know why she'd thought the date could've ever ended in anything other than complete disaster. What did she and Ruby have in common? They'd been made partners at Beacon, yes, but that had been nothing more than a whim of fate. It had been foolish of her to let Ruby know how she felt and selfish of her to agree to a date.

Weiss and Ruby finally got to Ruby's door. Weiss was trying to think of something to say. If she was very lucky maybe she'd be able to salvage her friendship with Ruby. That's when Ruby said, "I'm sorry for messing everything up tonight."

Weiss was taken aback. "How were you the one who messed everything up?"

Ruby said, "I really wanted to ask Yang what to do on a date but I didn't get a chance and I know you said to be myself but how can I be myself on a date when I've never been on a date and you tried so hard and, and…."

"Is that really what you think?" Weiss asked.

"Yes? I mean, you're the one who knows what she's doing, so it had to've been me, right?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby…" Weiss hung her head. "I don't know anything about dating either."

"You don't?" Ruby looked shocked.

"I've never been on one," Weiss said.

"Never ever?" Ruby asked.

"There were a few formal social events with 'acceptable' suitors that Father arranged, and that dance with Neptune I suppose, but they hardly count," Weiss said. "I planned all the activities tonight. It's all my fault it didn't work."

"But if neither one of us knew anything, how were we supposed to figure out how to date?" Ruby asked.

"I don't think there really is a proper way," Weiss said. "I think it's best to just do what feels right."

"So I could have kissed you in the car," Ruby said.

"I supposed you could have," Weiss said. She wanted desperately to kiss Ruby right now, no matter how bitterly sweet it would be. "It's…still not too late. If you want to," she said softly.

"Hmmm…nope!" Ruby said. "I think we're going to have to go on a better date then that if we want to kiss. Maybe next time?"

"Wait. You want there to be a next time?" Weiss asked, amazed.

"Well yeah, of course. If I gave up every time I wasn't good at something right away, I would've never gotten into Beacon." Ruby said. She opened the door to her room. "We'll talk about it more tomorrow?"

"That would be wonderful," Weiss said.

"Night, Weiss," Ruby said. She stepped into her room and closed the door behind her.

"Goodnight, Ruby," Weiss whispered to the empty hallway.

Weiss walked back to her room feeling lightheaded with relief. This could still work. Ruby was willing to give her another try. She'd have to figure out where it'd all gone wrong tonight. She'd planned everything to as minute a detail as she'd been able. Maybe with more time she could make it work.

Suddenly, a strange thought entered Weiss's head. Ruby had always been a spanner in the works where her plans were concerned, and surprisingly, it had mostly been for the better. Maybe the solution was to plan less. Could it really be as simple as that? Could she really just let things happen without trying to control them? Weiss wasn't sure, but maybe it was worth trying.

Weiss made it to her room. She immediately slipped out of her shoes. It had been a long day and she was very tired. Before she could start getting ready for bed, however, her scroll buzzed with a new message. Thinking it might be from Ruby, Weiss slipped her scroll out of her dress's carefully concealed pocket. She opened the screen. To Weiss's surprise, the messaged turned out to be from Winter, not Ruby.

 _Winter:_ _Father is returning to Atlas tomorrow morning. Be ready._

Weiss read the message twice, hoping she'd read it wrong. Unfortunately, she hadn't. The Lord and Master of the Schnee mansion was returning to his domain.

"Oh no," Weiss said.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_ _Poor Ruby and Weiss. They always have to do everything in their relationship the hard way. Oh well. I'm sure it'll all work out in the end. Probably._

 _Yes, Ruby and Weiss are in their Volume 4 outfits now, or at least the concept art versions. I suppose their actual outfits in Volume 4 could turn out to be a little bit different._

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn._


	5. An Unwelcome Reunion

**Chapter 5: An Unwelcome Reunion**

For the second morning in a row, Yang was facing a real dilemma. She'd woken up with the sun like usual, but Blake was still fast asleep. This wouldn't have been so much of a problem except for the fact that Blake cuddled in her sleep, and Blake's arms were wrapped tightly around Yang, trapping her in the bed.

Yesterday the decision to wake Blake up or not had been easy, given the promised morning activities. This morning, however, Yang was paralyzed by indecision. On the one hand, it was always hilarious to see the ordinarily graceful Blake stumbling around like a zombie before she'd had her morning tea. Plus the angry look she'd inevitably give Yang for waking her up would be adorable. On the other hand, Blake looked so peaceful when she was asleep, and Yang was really enjoying the sinfully decadent feeling of Blake's body pressed tightly into hers.

As tempting as it was for Yang to just stay in bed with Blake all morning, she decided that it would probably be best to venture beyond the confines of Blake's guest room today. She hadn't even seen Ruby or Weiss all day yesterday. Before Yang could wake Blake up, however, Blake mumbled something in her sleep and nuzzled into Yang's shoulder. It was a convincing argument if Yang had ever heard one. Maybe letting Blake sleep ten more minutes would be okay.

Unfortunately, that peaceful ten minutes was interrupted by a pounding on the door. Blake's ears twitched at the intrusive noise. Her eyes fluttered open. "Wha…what?" she said.

"Blake, are you awake?!" Weiss's voice shouted from the other side of the door. "Is Yang with you?! We need to hurry!"

Yang shouted back, "What do you want, Weiss?!"

Weiss barged into the room. "What are you two still doing in bed? We don't have much time! Why isn't Blake wearing her bow?!"

"Why Good morning, Weiss. Sure, you can come in," Yang said sarcastically.

"Never mind that," Weiss said. "You two need to get dressed!"

Blake yawned and rubbed her eyes. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Father's airship landed a few minutes ago," Weiss said. "He'll be returning to the mansion shortly!"

Blake instantly snapped awake. "Your father's coming here?"

"Yes!" Weiss said. "And he hasn't been informed that there are guests at the mansion. He doesn't like surprises, especially in his own home. We need to make a good first impression!"

Blake's face twisted into a mask of worry. She'd gone from groggy to tense in a space of seconds. Yang realized she needed to do something. Getting rid of the frantic Weiss was probably a good start.

"We got it," Yang said. "Go make sure Ruby's ready."

"I already told her. She's…oh no. She doesn't know that…. I better go find her. Meet us in the foyer!" Weiss shot out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Yang asked. She'd never seen the mere mention of Ruby's name send Weiss into a tizzy before. She wondered if something had happened yesterday that she didn't know about.

Blake brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. The anxiety rolling off of her was palpable.

"Are you going to be okay?" Yang asked.

"I don't know," Blake said. "I'm about to meet Schnee. The Schnee."

"It'll be alright," Yang said. "We'll all be here for you."

"You don't understand!" Blake said. "He represents everything I've spent most of my life fighting against! And now I'm going to meet him face-to-face, and I'm just supposed to smile and politely shake his hand?"

"You could always make faces at him behind his back," Yang said.

"This isn't a joke, Yang!" Blake said. She got out of bed and started pacing.

Yang wasn't sure what to do. She'd probably never be able to truly understand how Blake felt right now. Even the festering hatred she'd born for Adam didn't compare. Very few would debate that Adam was a detestable criminal, but Mr. Schnee was a so-called great man who perpetrated his wrongdoings with society's implicit consent.

Yang got out of bed. She walked up to Blake and gave her a hug from behind. Blake hardly seemed to notice.

"What if…" Yang said, thinking out loud. An idea was slowly coming to her. "What if you prove that you're better than him?"

Blake turned to face Yang. "What do you mean?"

"How do you think Daddy Schnee would react if he knew you were a faunus?" Yang asked.

"I don't even want to think about that," Blake said.

"Yeah, but that's the thing. You do know what he is," Yang said. "So why don't you prove you're better than him by acting civil? That was what the White Fang was originally about, right? Showing that faunus are good people?"

Blake sighed. "I guess I can try. For Weiss's sake."

"Tell you what," Yang said. "If things get ugly, I'll punch him in the face. Then you can punch him in the face. Then I'll punch him in the face again."

A small smile tickled the edges of Blake's lips. "Do you mean it?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," Yang said.

As soon as Yang and Blake were dressed and ready, they made their way to the foyer. A veritable host of the mansion's staff was there. They were lining the hall on both sides, standing at attention like soldiers on review.

"Wow, really?" Yang muttered. The amount of ego on display was unbelievable. Yang would've found it funny if the situation hadn't been so tense.

Weiss and Ruby were already waiting at the bottom of the foyer's grand staircase. Yang hadn't noticed earlier, but Weiss was wearing a new lavender-colored dress with a combat skirt. Ruby had on a new outfit as well. When had she gotten that?

"Hiya, Rubes!" Yang said. "Nice clothes."

"Aren't they awesome?" Ruby asked. "Weiss bought them for me yesterday."

"Oh really?" Yang said, eyeing Weiss. Yang knew that Weiss didn't like it when she teased her about her oh-so-secret feelings for Ruby, but if she didn't want to get teased, she shouldn't have made it so obvious.

Weiss didn't respond to Yang at all. Her eyes were locked on the front door, and her jaw was clenched tight. Yang started to suspect that Weiss was more nervous about Daddy Schnee's imminent return than Blake was. For once in her life, Yang decided to take pity on Weiss and not press the issue about Ruby's new outfit.

"So," Yang said. "Nice day for a family reunion, eh?"

"I'm excited," Ruby said. "I heard Weiss got to meet Dad, and now I get to meet hers!"

Weiss's face seemed to darken even more at the comment. Yang couldn't believe it, but Weiss was actually out-brooding Blake. At least Ruby was still her normal, cheerful self.

The sound of a car pulling up came from outside. All of the staff in the hallway stood up just a little bit straighter. A moment later, the front door opened. Mr. Schnee strode purposefully into his domain with his back ramrod straight and his hands clasped behind his back. It took Yang all of a second to decide that all of the uncharitable assumptions she'd made about the man were completely true. His eyes were cold and calculating, and his face seemed to be permanently fixed into a look of disdain. The way he held himself made it abundantly clear that he was king and everyone else was beneath his notice.

Walking just behind Mr. Schnee was Winter. She didn't show any outward signs of injury from her fight with Adam, but she still looked paler than usual. The wound that Adam had inflicted on her had been long and deep. It had bled profusely. Aura was a remarkable healer, but excessive blood loss was one of the few things it could do little about. It was strong evidence that Adam had been trying to take Winter alive like Neo had claimed.

Mr. Schnee drew closer to where Team RWBY was standing. Yang could practically feel Blake bristling. Her hand found Blake's, and she squeezed it reassuringly.

Mr. Schnee paused in front of Weiss.

Weiss curtseyed formally and said, "Welcome home, Father. Your presence honors us."

Mr. Schnee's eyes drifted over to Yang, Blake, and Ruby. He said, "I wasn't aware there were new additions to the staff in my absence."

Winter spoke up. "These are the people who saved my life, Father. They are staying here as my guests."

"You mean these are the people who failed to kill the faunus malcontent's leader," Mr. Schnee said.

"Death may yet be his fate," Winter said. "It is up to the courts to decide."

"The courts," Mr. Schnee spat out. "Whatever soft-hearted sentence they hand out will be less than the rabid beast deserves."

Blake's hand clamped down on Yang's. Yang hadn't thought that she was actually going to have to punch Mr. Schnee in the face, but it looked like that was going to be the case.

Winter said, "Isn't it enough that your daughter is alive, Father?"

"I suppose that will have to be my consolation. I had expected you to at least be able to defend yourself since you've deigned to waste your talents on the military," Mr. Schnee said. He looked Yang, Blake, and Ruby over with open contempt. "I suppose your guests can remain here for the present. That should be suitable compensation."

Without another word, Mr. Schnee walked past Team RWBY and left the foyer. After such a display, Yang could only presume he was going to his villainous lair to twirl his mustache and cackle madly. She made a mental note to congratulate Weiss later for being so well-adjusted.

Ruby scratched her head. "Well that was…I don't know what that was."

Winter looked at Weiss and said, "Sister, I must speak with you in private."

"Right," Weiss said. She followed Winter out of the foyer.

"I guess it's just the three of us then," Ruby said.

Without a word, Blake began dragging Yang away.

"Where are you going?" Ruby asked.

"We'll, uh, be in Blake's room if you need us!" Yang said over her shoulder.

Blake silently led Yang all the way back to the guest wing. She went straight to her room, pulled Yang inside, and shut the door.

"We have to leave," Blake said immediately.

"Yeah, sure," Yang said. "I'm sure we can find another place to stay."

"I meant we have to leave Atlas," Blake said.

"Atlas? As in the whole kingdom?" Yang asked.

"There's no reason for us to still be here," Blake said. "Adam's locked up and the White Fang are scattered. We should be over in Mistral helping Jaune's team."

Yang shifted her feet uncomfortably. "I don't think we can do that yet."

"Why not?" Blake asked. "Ruby will come with us. Maybe even Weiss."

Yang didn't want to say anything. She wanted to tell Blake that they'd be on the next airship to Mistral, but there was a very good reason she couldn't.

"Yang? Why not?!" Blake demanded.

Yang sheepishly held up her stump. Her cybernetic arm wasn't fixed yet. Last she'd heard it could still be weeks before it was ready.

The look that crossed Blake's face cut Yang to the bone. She could practically see all the hard work she'd put into soothing Blake's guilt being undone.

"Oh, Yang. I'm so…I'm so sorry," Blake whispered She turned away and buried her head in her hands.

"You know what? No!" Yang said suddenly. She'd really thought that she'd accepted the fact that her life would never quite be the same as it had been, but right now she didn't feel like accepting it at all.

Yang stomped angrily toward Blake and said, "I'm sick and tired of you feeling bad! I'm sick and tired of depending on a stupid piece of machinery! You and I are going to Mistral right now!"

"No, Yang, we…you were right. We shouldn't do that," Blake said.

"No! You were right!" Yang said. Red was seeping into her eyes. "The fight's not here. It's out there in Mistral, and we're wasting time!"

"Yang, don't do this," Blake said.

"Why not? It's what you wanted a minute ago!"

"I won't let it happen again!"

"Won't let what happen again!?"

"I won't let you get hurt again because of me!" Blake shouted.

Blake's words were like a bucket of cold water thrown in Yang's face. They stopped her anger dead in its tracks and let the more rational parts of her brain take over. Had she really been ready to recklessly charge into the fight yet again?

Yang took a deep breath. Less than an hour ago everything had been fine. Now, she and Blake were yelling at each other. It was very clear whose fault this was, and Yang knew exactly what needed to be done about it. She looked at Blake and said, "Get a marker."

"What?" Blake asked, utterly confused.

"We're going to go to the training room. We're going to draw Daddy Schnee's face on a punching bag. And we're going to punch it. A lot," Yang said.

Blake stood there a moment. Then she said, "Go pick out a punching bag. I'll find a marker."

* * *

Weiss's eyes tracked Winter as she paced back and forth in front of her. Winter had spent the better part of an hour relaying to Weiss the banal details of Father's visit to Vale. Weiss didn't much care about Father's trip and she suspected that Winter didn't either. Weiss knew her sister well enough to know that Winter was stalling. There must be some unpleasant news she needed to tell her. Few would suspect it, but Winter was a masterful procrastinator on the rare occasion that she wanted to be.

"And so Father believes that sales will completely recover before the end of the quarter," Winter said.

"That's good news for the company," Weiss said. She hoped Winter would come to the point soon, but she knew it was impossible to force the issue. Winter was incredibly stubborn, even for a Schnee.

"Yes," Winter said. She paused for a moment then reluctantly added, "I have also been in contact with General Ironwood."

Weiss perked up. This must be what Winter needed to say.

"He will be deploying all of the specialists to Mistral soon," Winter said. "Including me."

"What? But you haven't fully recovered yet!" Weiss said.

"That doesn't matter. The general needs me," Winter said. "Mistral is refusing Atlas's aid. The time has come to force the issue."

A chill ran down Weiss's spine. "Winter, you're talking about war. Actual war!"

"The decision is not mine," Winter said. "And it is none of your concern. Before I leave, I need to know that you will be resuming your studies at Atlas Academy soon."

"Our kingdom is on the brink of war, and you're worried about my schooling?" Weiss asked.

"Of course. You should be as well," Winter said. "Given the extenuating circumstances, I'm sure your absence can be forgiven. But not if you delay your return much longer."

"What does my academic record matter anymore?" Weiss asked. "The whole world is falling apart!"

"No matter what the future holds, you must be prepared to face it," Winter said. "The Academy is still the best way to do that. Especially with things as they are."

Weiss sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, Winter was probably right. She said, "I'll return soon."

"Do I have your word?" Winter asked sternly.

"You have my word," Weiss said.

"Very good," Winter said. She turned to leave. "I will find the time to stop by before my deployment. Until then, Sister."

Weiss watched Winter walk away. She would've never guessed that Father returning to the mansion wouldn't be the worst thing to happen today. The thought of Winter in the middle of a war disturbed her deeply.

Weiss supposed that for the time being none of her day-to-day concerns had really changed. She was still just a huntress-in-training, and for the moment, peace still reigned. Then again, with Father here her day-to-day had become much more complicated. Weiss immediately thought about Ruby. It would be disastrous if Father learned about their budding relationship. Fortunately, the staff could be counted on to hold their tongues, and Yang and Blake didn't know. The only loose end was Ruby herself, and Weiss still hadn't had a chance to properly warn her.

Weiss immediately went looking for Ruby. She found her a few minutes later in the guest wing, sitting on the floor with her face buried in her scroll. Weiss took a moment to look at Ruby. There she was, playing some silly game like she didn't have a care in the world. Weiss was jealous of the way Ruby seemed to keep her optimism no matter what happened. She hoped that never changed. She didn't know what she'd do without Ruby to buoy her up.

"Ruby," Weiss said, making her presence known.

"Weiss!" Ruby said. She jumped up and shoved her scroll into her pocket.

"Have you been by yourself this whole time?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah," Ruby said. "Yang and Blake ran off to Blake's room. Then I think they went to the gym? I saw them coming back just a minute ago. They were laughing about something. I think they're in Yang's room now."

"We need to talk about Father," Weiss said.

"Oh, okay. Is he always like that?" Ruby asked.

"Yes," Weiss sighed.

"I guess that explains a few thing," Ruby mumbled.

Weiss chose to ignore the comment. She said, "Now that he's here, we need to be careful."

"Careful about what?" Ruby asked.

"I don't want him finding out about…us," Weiss said.

"Oooh," Ruby said. "He, uh, wouldn't like it?"

"No," Weiss said.

"Well I guess that's okay," Ruby said. "We still have to tell Yang and Blake though."

"I'm not sure we should tell them either," Weiss said.

"Weiss! You can't expect me not to tell my own sister!" Ruby whined.

"I'm just…not sure how she'd react," Weiss said.

Ruby cocked her head at Weiss. Then she started walking away.

"Ruby? Where are you going?" Weiss asked.

Ruby didn't answer. Weiss followed after her. She had an ominous feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Weiss's worry intensified when Ruby walked up to Yang's door. "Ruby, I think we should discuss this first," she said.

Ruby banged on the door. "Yang! Weiss and I are girlfriends now!" she shouted.

Weiss practically swallowed her tongue. "Girlfriends!?"

"Okay!" Yang's voice shouted back through the door.

Weiss blinked. "Is that it?"

"Give her a minute," Ruby said.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump followed by what sounded like a charging bull. Yang flew out of the room, practically ripping the door off its hinges. "What!?"

"Weiss confessed her love for me yesterday," Ruby said. "She and I are girlfriends now."

"I wouldn't quite phrase it that way," Weiss said weakly.

Yang startled expression gave way to a positively evil grin. Weiss gulped subconsciously. She did not feel safe at the moment.

"So the Ice Queen finally found the stones to admit it, eh?" Yang asked.

"Well…sort of," Ruby said. "Wait, did you know?"

"Duh," Yang said.

Blake quietly appeared behind Yang in the doorway. "Congratulations you two," she said.

Yang looked Weiss dead in the eye. "You and I are going to have to have a talk."

"I'm sure," Weiss said, doing her best to not sound intimidated.

"Yang! Be nice," Ruby scolded.

"I guess I was wrong," Yang said. "Dating is a team activity after all!"

"Yang!" Ruby said. She shoved her laughing sister back into her room and closed the door on her. "See? Nothing to worry about."

"Right," Weiss said ruefully. She cast her eyes downward. "I'm…not sure if we can call each other girlfriends yet."

"Didn't you say we're supposed to do what feels right?" Ruby asked.

"Yes. I did."

"Well it feels right for me to call you my girlfriend."

Weiss's heart skipped a beat. "Do you really mean that?" she asked.

"That's why I said it." Ruby zipped up to Weiss and put her hand around her shoulder. "Just you wait, Weiss! We're going to get this dating thing figured out yet!"

Weiss really wanted to believe that was true. It just seemed like with all that was happening there was little chance of things actually working out. But if Ruby cared enough to call Weiss her girlfriend, Weiss had to keep trying.

"You want to get some lunch?" Ruby asked. "I skipped breakfast. I'm starving!"

"Brunch," Weiss corrected. "It's still too early for lunch."

"Well, you want to get some brunch then?" Ruby asked.

"As long as we get it somewhere away from the mansion," Weiss said. Right now she wanted to be as far away from Father as possible.

"Alright, but I'm picking," Ruby said. "I'm not sure I trust you with restaurants anymore."

Weiss couldn't help but chuckle. "Very well. It's all up to you."

* * *

 _Author's Note: I was very reluctant to include Weiss's dad in this story. We don't really know anything about his personality or mannerism yet (or even his first name). So if canon Mr. Schnee turns out to be very different than I've portrayed him here, that's why. On a side note, I'm not going to pick a first name for him in this story, but if I had to, I'd use Christopher, because it kind of sort of sounds like Christmas._

 _When you have characters with superpowers inevitably you run into problems when you need one of them to be captured or incapacitated. This is where the power nullifier trope comes in. (I think the most common variation I've seen in RWBY fanfiction is "aura suppressants".) I really don't like power nullifiers in general because they usually don't make logical sense in universe and the greater ramifications of such technology existing are never explored. Hence my solution is to have aura's healing properties be ineffective on excessive blood loss. I of course have an extensive rationalization for this that makes perfect sense, in my head anyway. Although at the end of the day, my solution may just be the exact same trope in a different form. Oh well. I guess tropes exist for a reason._

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn._


	6. An Earnest Discussion

_Author's Note:_ _An astute reader kindly pointed out to me that Haven is a school, not a kingdom. It should be Mistral that Atlas is on the brink of war with. I've gone back and fixed this in the previous chapter._

* * *

 **Chapter 6: An Earnest Discussion**

"Come on, Yang! Please?" Ruby begged. It was the morning of the next day, and she and Yang were lounging around in one of the Schnee mansion's sitting rooms. In fact, it was the very same room that Weiss had accidentally confessed to Ruby in, although Ruby hadn't told Yang that.

"I don't know," Yang said. "I'm not sure I should be encouraging any, what did Dad call it? Teenager nonsense?"

"Like you're one to talk," Ruby mumbled.

"What was that?" Yang asked.

"Nothing!" Ruby said quickly.

"What's got you so worried anyway?" Yang asked. "I'm sure you and Weiss'll do just fine on a date."

Ruby shuffled her feet nervously. She said, "We kind of already went on one."

"Oh!" Yang said. "Really?"

"Yeah, it…well…" Ruby trailed off.

"It didn't go so well, huh," Yang said. If she had to guess, Weiss had probably tried to plan the whole thing out like it was some kind of grand ball. She seemed to be pathologically incapable of letting things be simple.

"Not really, no," Ruby said. "Weiss is really upset about it. I don't think she thinks this is going to work, and I just want her to feel okay about us dating. That's why I need your help!"

"Wow. You're really serious about this," Yang said. She'd honestly been blindsided by Ruby's announcement yesterday. She'd almost thought that Ruby had meant it as more of a joke than anything, but it seemed like this was the real deal. Figuring out Weiss's intentions had just become even more important. Fortunately, Yang already had a crafty spy helping her out with that.

"Yang! Why wouldn't I be serious?" Ruby asked.

"I didn't mean it like that," Yang said. "You've just never shown any interest in, well, anyone before."

"I didn't show any interest before because I didn't have any interest."

"But you do now?"

"Well, Weiss is very pretty."

"I guess. If you're into that sort of thing."

Ruby looked surprised. "Aren't you?" she asked.

Yang shot Ruby a look. "Just because I'm pan doesn't mean I automatically think everyone's hot."

"But Weiss's hair, and her eyes, and that look she gets," Ruby said.

"Look, Sis. Just because you like the way someone looks doesn't mean dating them is going to work out. Believe me, I know," Yang said. She shuttered as she involuntarily recalled some of the more disastrous missteps in her dating history.

"I know that!" Ruby said. "But this is Weiss!"

"Well yeah, but it's Weiss," Yang said.

"Yang! I said to be nice," Ruby scolded.

Yang looked thoughtfully at Ruby. Then she said, "I'll tell you what. I'll share my sisterly wisdom about dating with you if you do something for me."

"Sure!" Ruby said. "What do you need?"

"Gamble Shroud's ribbon still needs fixing," Yang said. "Maybe you have some ideas for improvements? I'm pretty handy with a weapon forge, but I'm not you."

"My dear sister Yang. Are you admitting that I'm better than you at something?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," Yang said. "You got any ideas or not?"

"Hmmm," Ruby said. "You could reinforce it with some carbon nanotubes. That'll make the ribbon stronger and help Blake channel more aura through it."

"That's a great idea! Thanks, Sis," Yang said.

"Alright. So how do I take Weiss out on the best date ever?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know." Yang shrugged.

"Yang!" Ruby whined.

"No really," Yang said. "If you two can't handle hanging out together without my help, it's not going to work."

"That doesn't help me at all," Ruby said.

"That's cause you're overthinking it, Rubes," Yang said. "Just go out somewhere and have fun! Don't try to force the romance. If you two have chemistry, it'll come naturally."

"Just have fun, huh? Maybe that'll work," Ruby said. She didn't sound very confident.

"Ah, come here," Yang said. She pulled Ruby into a hug. "I'm happy you're finally starting to date. Even if it is Weiss."

"Yang," Ruby said threateningly.

"I'm just kidding. Mostly," Yang said. "Don't worry. It's going to be good for you. You'll see."

A buzzing came from Yang's pocket.

"Was that a scroll?" Ruby asked. "I thought yours was broken."

"Don't worry about it! Got to go!" Yang said. She let go of Ruby and dashed for the door.

Yang was out of the room before Ruby could ask her what was going on. She pulled a scroll out of her pocket. It was the same scroll that Neo had slipped into her pocket after their confrontation in the warehouse. Yang supposed some people would find it weird that she'd kept it, but it was a perfectly good scroll. Why not use it? All it'd needed was a memory wipe and a new, yellow case.

Yang opened the scroll. As she'd suspected, there was a message on it from Blake.

 _Blakey: Weiss just left her father's study. She's on her way to her room. If you use the west hall you can get there without her seeing you._

Yang grinned. She set her scroll down, sat on the floor, and struggled out of her boots as quickly as she could. As much as she loved her boots, they were hard to be sneaky in, and right now she wanted to be very sneaky.

Yang picked her scroll back up and took off running down the hall while she typed in a reply.

 _Me: Ty but ur suppost to call her snow white_

 _Blakey: I told you I'm not going to use code names. It's not a very good one anyway._

 _Me: D:_

 _Blakey: Just remember if you hurt Weiss Ruby will never forgive you._

 _Me: I no what im doing. Trust me_

 _Blakey: Amazingly I do._

 _Me: :D_

Yang tossed her scroll back into her pocket. She skidded around the corner to where Weiss's room was and scrambled for the door. Running on hardwood floors in her socks was harder than she'd thought it'd be.

Yang slid to a stop in front of Weiss's door and let herself in. There was no sign of Weiss, just like Yang had hoped. She immediately tucked herself away into the corner by the door so that she'd be hidden when it opened. She had important things to impress upon Weiss, and presentation would be everything.

It wasn't long until Yang saw the door knob twist. She pressed up against the wall as tightly as she could. The door opened. It came within an inch of Yang's nose. Weiss walked into the room and shut the door behind her.

Yang gave herself a mental high-five when Weiss didn't notice her there. And to think that Blake had doubted her. She could be sneaky and subtle when she wanted to be. She just usually didn't want to be.

Yang spied a chair nearby that was next to a writing desk. She tiptoed behind Weiss's back and slid herself into the chair. Thinking quickly, she grabbed a book off the desk, opened it to a random page, and composed herself like she'd been casually sitting there the whole time.

Yang waited for just the right moment, and then said, "Hello, Weiss."

Weiss squeaked in surprise. She spun around in a heartbeat. Her hand went up reflexively and a white glyph sprung to life in front of her.

Yang was giddy inside at how completely she'd caught Weiss unaware, but she put on a casual, almost disinterested air and said, "It's time we had a talk."

"How long have you been there?!" Weiss demanded.

"Long enough," Yang said. She closed the book and set it back on the desk for effect. She stood and slowly started advancing toward Weiss. "I need to know what your intentions are for my baby sister."

Weiss rolled her eyes. She dismissed her glyph and said, "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"Whenever someone takes an interest in Ruby, it's automatically my business," Yang said. She stopped right in front of Weiss and leaned casually against the wall.

"You know I would never do anything to hurt Ruby," Weiss said.

"Maybe not on purpose," Yang said. "But Ruby doesn't do things halfway. She really wants to make things work with you."

"She does?" Weiss asked. Yang wasn't sure she liked how surprised Weiss sounded.

"Yup. So what about you?" Yang asked.

"I want to make it work too, of course," Weiss said.

"That doesn't really tell me what I need to know," Yang said.

Weiss rubbed her temples. "Could we not do this right now?"

Yang frowned. Something wasn't right here. Weiss wasn't responding with her usual sarcastic wit. "Are you feeling alright?" Yang asked.

"Not really, if you must know," Weiss said. "I've just finished being interrogated by Father. I'd rather not put up with it from you too."

Weiss's dad's ability to cast a pall over everything really was amazing. Yang would have to see what she could do about that. She said, "Well you can relax. I'm not really trying to interrogate you, I just want to make sure you're not leading Ruby on."

"Leading her on!? Yang, I—" Weiss cut herself off.

"You…?" Yang prompted.

Weiss bit her lip hesitantly. She finally said, "I'm in love with her."

"Oh…uh…." Yang definitely hadn't been expecting that. It certainly explained a few things though. "You mean love-with-a-capital-L love?

"I don't know what else to call it," Weiss said.

"Does Ruby know?" Yang asked.

"I don't know," Weiss said. "Probably not."

"Don't you think she should?" Yang asked.

"No! Not yet anyway," Weiss said. "I don't want to put any pressure on her if…if it doesn't work out."

"I see," Yang said. She decided Weiss had passed the big sister test, at least for now. If anything, Yang thought she should be more worried about Ruby inadvertently hurting Weiss rather than the other way around.

"Weiss," Yang said. She put her hand on Weiss's shoulder. "I think you two are going to be good for each other."

"Thanks, Yang," Weiss said. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"But that doesn't mean there aren't one or two little things you could do for me," Yang said. "You know, to make sure you stay in my good graces."

"I know I'm going to regret asking this," Weiss said. "What do you want?"

"First of all I need to use Atlas Academy's weapon forge," Yang said.

"I suppose that's easy enough," Weiss said. She pulled her wallet out of her pocket and produced a student ID. "This will get you access."

"Thanks!" Yang said, taking the ID. "I also need some money."

"What for?" Weiss asked. "The forge should have all the supplies you need."

"It's not for that. You and Ruby got new clothes. Lavender's a good color on you by the way. Blake and I need some too," Yang said. "We've got to keep all of Team RWBY looking good you know."

"I'm not your personal bank," Weiss said. "You can pay for your own clothes!"

"Alright," Yang said. "But you should know that Ruby's been asking me for date ideas. I'm sure I could come up with some…interesting suggestions for her."

"Are you blackmailing me?" Weiss asked incredulously.

"Maaaybe," Yang said.

Weiss actually growled; Yang couldn't believe it. It seemed like some good natured teasing had put the life back into Weiss just like Yang had hoped.

Reluctantly, Weiss produced her card. Yang snatched it out of her hand. "Thanks, Weiss!" She headed for the door. "Good luck with Ruby, lover-girl!"

"Xiao Long, I swear you will pay for this one day," Weiss said in a dangerous tone.

"Later!" Yang shouted over her shoulder as she hastily made her way out of the room. She wondered if messing with Weiss would ever get old. She sure hoped not.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_ _Yang knows that fashion is the real key to victory. At least that's what years of watching anime has taught me._

 _I just realized that I'm going to have to pick up the pace if I want to get this story done before Volume 4 comes out. With any luck you guys can expect slightly more frequent updates from me._

 _Speaking of Volume 4, I am going to be live blogging the new episodes of RWBY over on my tumblr. Come join me on October 23rd (no I'm not a Rooster Teeth subscriber) to hear my thoughts on the first episode._

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn._


	7. A Second Try

**Chapter 7: A Second Try**

About an hour after Yang had left, Weiss found herself sitting alone at the writing desk in her room. A huge stack of books and papers were lying in front of her. They were the sum total of the schoolwork she'd missed so far. She hadn't returned to classes at Atlas Academy just yet, but it seemed like a good idea to get a head start on her ever accruing list of assignments.

Unfortunately for Weiss, her usual drive for studying was conspicuously absent. It just seemed so pointless with war, or something worse, on the horizon. Knowing that Winter was being sent into the thick of it made Weiss feel queasy. She felt like she should be by Winter's side when the fighting broke out, but she knew that was foolish. Even with her experience combating grimm and hunting down criminals, she wasn't ready for war. No one ever was.

Father certainly wasn't helping ease Weiss's fears. He'd come back from Vale more paranoid than ever. Something he'd seen during his trip had spooked him, and he was not the kind of man who responded well to fear. The Schnee Family had enemies aplenty, but that wasn't stopping Father from imagining even more lurking in the shadows. Since his return, he'd bombarded Weiss with lectures, vague warnings, and demands for information that she didn't have.

Weiss sighed forlornly. She knew that fretting wouldn't make things better, so she reached for the book at the top of the pile and tried her best to concentrate on reading it. However, her mind refused to cooperate. As soon as she'd pushed her thoughts of Father and Winter aside, she found herself daydreaming about Ruby.

Weiss suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The last time she'd been idly thinking about Ruby, Yang had spontaneously materialized out of nowhere. Weiss glanced around the room to make sure she was really alone. Fortunately, Yang hadn't reappeared. Weiss was glad. She could do without another lecture about the dangers of mistreating Ruby. As if she would do such a thing.

Weiss knew that Yang had meant well, but her theatrics had not been helpful to Weiss's emotional state either. Weiss wondered if Yang knew just how intimidating she could be, even with only one arm. Weiss had sparred against Yang many times at Beacon. She'd won many of those matches, but it had always been a challenge. Even by a huntress's standards Yang was freakishly strong. Weiss had no desire to see that strength turned against her in earnest.

Weiss shook her head to clear it. She really did need to get some schoolwork done today. Just as she was finally getting focused, however, there was a knock at the door. Weiss closed her book with an annoyed growl. Hopefully this wasn't another summons from Father.

"Come in," Weiss said.

The door opened, and Ruby popped into the room. "Hiya, Weiss!" she said cheerfully.

"Ruby!" Weiss said. She jumped to her feet.

"Do you want to go on a date?" Ruby asked.

"You mean, right now?"

"Yeah! Right now."

Weiss looked down at herself. "But, I'm not dressed for it," she said. She was just wearing her new dress and combat skirt. It was hardly suitable attire for a date.

"I didn't ask if you wanted to go on a 'formal social event'," Ruby said. "I'm talking about a date, silly!"

"I…" Weiss glanced at the stack of books on her desk. "I'd love to."

"Great! Let's go!" Ruby said. She zoomed over to Weiss, grabbed her hand, and dragged her out of the room.

Weiss had to jog to keep up with Ruby as she bounded down the hallway. "Did you have something in mind for this date?" she asked.

"Don't worry, Weiss!" Ruby said. "I know exactly what we're going to do!"

"This wasn't Yang's idea, was it?" Weiss asked uneasily.

"Nope! Well, kind of actually," Ruby said.

Weiss bit the inside of her cheek. There was no reason to worry, she told herself. She'd acquiesced to Yang's demands, and she was certain that Yang wouldn't actually undermine her and Ruby's relationship. At least, she was reasonably certain that Yang wouldn't.

Ruby led Weiss all the way to the mansion's foyer. A pair of coats were waiting there, draped over the grand stairway's banister. Ruby grabbed the coats and tossed one to Weiss. "Here. Put this on," Ruby said.

"This isn't my coat," Weiss said. It looked perfectly serviceable, but it was a drab, pea green color.

"Yeah, I couldn't find yours. Don't worry about it!" Ruby said.

Weiss slipped the coat on. "Do I need to call for a limo?" she asked.

"Nope. I've already taken care of it," Ruby said proudly.

Weiss was impressed. She didn't realize that Ruby knew who among the staff to speak with about arranging for a limousine and chauffeur.

Weiss was decidedly less impressed when she walked out the front door and saw an ordinary taxi waiting. She decided not to press the issue though. She knew she needed to let go of some of her controlling tendencies if she wanted this relationship to work. This would be good practice.

Ruby and Weiss climbed into the taxi. Ruby said to the driver, "Downtown, please."

"You got it," the driver said.

The taxi started off down the mansion's long and winding driveway.

"I don't get many pickups from the Schnees' place," the driver said. "It's kind of exciting."

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror. Weiss saw his eyes linger on her. He asked, "Hey. You're not her, are you? You know, Mr. Schnee's kid?"

"Naw," Ruby said, giggling. "She just works at the mansion. Her name's, uh, Snow."

"Yes. Snow. That's me," Weiss said, glancing at Ruby. That was a terrible pseudonym for her.

The driver shrugged. "Hey, whatever you say. So where downtown are you going?"

"I don't know," Ruby said. "Just drive around until I tell you to stop."

"You don't know?" Weiss asked. "You said you knew what we were going to do."

"Yeah, we're going to drive around until we see a place that looks fun," Ruby said.

"That's…" Weiss started. Ruby's plan was to have no plan? That seemed silly. And dates weren't supposed to be fun per se, right? Weiss was confused. But the more she thought about it, the more it made a strange sort of sense. "That sound like it could be…fun," Weiss said.

"That's the idea," Ruby said.

Ruby eventually had the driver drop her and Weiss off in the middle of a popular shopping district. Weiss's first thought was that she'd be paying for another shopping spree, but to her surprise, Ruby didn't take her into any of the stores. Mostly they just walked around and took in the scenery while Ruby talked about whatever thought popped into her head.

Weiss couldn't deny that this was a nice place for a walk. It was a crisp winter's day and the weather was pleasant enough. The storefronts were cheerfully decorated, and lively music was playing from hidden speakers throughout the district. There were plenty of other people around, but Weiss didn't feel their eyes upon her like she usually did when she was out in public. Maybe it was because she'd come in a taxi. Maybe it was because of the unremarkable coat she was wearing. Whatever the reason, she was actually blending in with the crowd. She almost felt like a normal person. It was a nice change of pace.

"Oooh! Weiss! Look at that!" Ruby took off for a nearby store window.

Weiss followed after Ruby. She was unsurprised to find the window that had drawn Ruby's attention had weapons on display.

"Oh wow!" Ruby said. "It's one of those new chain-swords!"

"I suppose you'll be wanting one now," Weiss said.

"Naw. I'm happy with Crescent Rose," Ruby said. "But it's cool to see other weapons too."

"I guess," Weiss said.

"Oh come on, Weiss," Ruby said. "I know deep down you're just as much of a dork for weapons as I am."

"I am not."

"You built your own custom, multi-action rapier."

"You don't really expect me to use some mass-produced junk, do you?"

"And I've seen you spend hours maintaining Myrtenaster."

"Weapon maintenance is important. I don't want one of the Dust chambers to jam at a critical juncture."

"And there's all the notes you take in weapons class."

"I take notes in every class."

"And there were the custom Dust rounds you made for Gambol Shroud."

"Why wouldn't I want to help my teammate out?"

"And there were the Dust rounds you were working on for Crescent Rose and Ember Celica too."

"I never told anyone about those! How did you know about them?"

Ruby just grinned impishly. "Come on, Weiss. Just admit that you think weapons are cool."

"They…are…a shining example of humanity's ingenuity and engineering prowess," Weiss said. She was going to leave it at that, but Ruby's excited gaze chipped away at her resistance until she reluctantly added, "And they're pretty cool."

"Yay!" Ruby squealed. "I knew it!"

Weiss shook her head, but there was a smile on her face. Only Ruby could make it feel good to lose an argument.

Ruby grabbed Weiss's hand. "Come on. Let's go see what else we can find!"

Ruby led Weiss farther down the sidewalk. Eventually, her eyes locked on to something. "Hey Weiss," she said. "Is it brunchtime or lunchtime?"

"'Brunchtime' isn't a word," Weiss said. "But to answer your question, it's late enough now for lunch."

"Then let's go eat!" Ruby said.

Weiss found herself being dragged into a place called Harlequin's. It wasn't a restaurant that she'd ever heard of, and for good reason as it turned out. Harlequin's wasn't a restaurant at all but some sort of pinball arcade. The multicolored lights of dozens of pinball machines lit up the otherwise dim space, and the sounds of electronic dings and synthesized melodies buzzed in the air. Judging by the crowd, this place was a popular destination.

"I don't think they serve food here, Ruby," Weiss said.

"No. No. There's a pizza bar in the back," Ruby said. "They have one of these on Patch. Me and Yang used to go all the time."

"Pizza?" Weiss asked warily. "Couldn't we get something less greasy?"

"You're thinking of cafeteria pizza," Ruby said. "This place has the real thing."

"There's a difference?" Weiss said.

"Oh yeah," Ruby said. "Trust me."

"Alright," Weiss said.

One trip through the buffet later, Ruby and Weiss were seated at a table in the middle of the arcade with two plates full of pizza. Weiss eyed the pizza suspiciously. It did look more appetizing than the grease-saturated slabs of cardboard the cafeteria at Beacon had served. Ruby was devouring her slices with great enthusiasm, although Weiss didn't necessarily trust Ruby's culinary judgment. However, that might be a bit hypocritical of her given recent events.

Weiss picked a slice up off her plate and took a bite.

"Well?" Ruby asked with her mouth full.

Weiss chewed and swallowed before she said, "It is…adequate."

"Does that mean you like it?" Ruby asked.

"It's not bad," Weiss said.

"I told you," Ruby said, smugly.

Ruby ended up taking another two trips to the buffet. Weiss was mildly concerned about the amount of food that Ruby was putting away. Maybe it had something to do with her semblance.

Despite Ruby's mouth being constantly stuffed full of pizza, she never stopped talking, and Weiss listened to every word. To Weiss's surprise, she was actually having fun, but for some reason that didn't reassure her. This all seemed too easy. Surely dating couldn't be as simple as just going somewhere and doing whatever came to mind. There had to be more to it than that, but Weiss couldn't imagine what it might be. This felt right, despite her instincts telling her that it shouldn't. All Weiss knew for certain was that she wanted more.

A sharp ding came from Weiss's pocket, interrupting Ruby. Someone had sent a message to Weiss's scroll.

"Hold on a moment," Weiss said. She pulled her scroll out of her pocket and looked at the screen. She could feel her blood pressure spike when she saw that the message was from Father. No doubt he was summoning her for another inane lecture. He wouldn't care that she was busy at the moment. His needs came above hers.

Weiss's finger hovered over her scroll's screen. She didn't know what to do. Years of discipline drilled into her demanded that she read the message and comply with whatever Father wanted. But Weiss didn't want to. She was on a date with Ruby.

Weiss held her breath and brought her finger down on the delete button.

Weiss's head swam. There would be severe consequences for what she'd just done, but she almost welcomed them. Was this how Winter had felt when she'd defied Father and joined the military?

"Who was it?" Ruby asked.

Weiss turned her scroll off and slipped it back into her pocket. "No one important," she said.

"Okay," Ruby said. "So, you want to play some pinball?"

"I would love to," Weiss said.

"Really?" Ruby asked. "Who are you and what have you done with Weiss?"

Weiss shot Ruby a look.

"There's my Weiss," Ruby said. "Come on! I see my favorite over there!"

Ruby led Weiss to a vacant pinball machine. The scoreboard had the words "Grimm Eclipse" written prominently across the top. The bumpers were all stylized to look like various species of grimm, and the flippers were shaped like swords. Ruby pulled a twenty-five Sien coin out of her pocket and put it into the coin slot. The machine came to life and dispensed the first ball.

Weiss watched as Ruby expertly worked the flippers, sending the ball all over the table and racking up points. "You're pretty good at that," Weiss said.

"Yeah. Like I said, Yang and I went to the place on Patch all the time," Ruby said.

Eventually, the ball slipped between the flippers where Ruby couldn't hit it.

"You want to take a turn?" Ruby asked.

"Okay," Weiss said. She'd never played pinball before, but how hard could it be?

It turned out that pinball could be very hard. Weiss managed to hit the ball with the flippers once before she lost it to the gutter.

"Maybe I should leave this to you," Weiss said.

"It's not that hard, Weiss," Ruby said. "Here. I'll help you!"

Ruby stepped up right behind Weiss and pressed into her back so that she could reach around and put her hands on top of Weiss's.

Weiss's face immediately flushed. Had it been anyone other than Ruby pressing into her—in public no less—Weiss would have suspected an ulterior motive. Weiss wanted to tell Ruby to stop, but she also really, really didn't. Ruby was so soft! And was that daisies she smelled? Was Ruby wearing perfume?

"Uh, Weiss? Are you going to launch the ball?" Ruby asked.

"R-right! Yes!" Weiss stammered. She reached over and pulled back on the plunger.

Weiss let Ruby guide her hands at the controls. She was too befuddled to do anything else. Every slight movement of Ruby's body against hers sent shivers through her. Whatever the consequences for ignoring Father's message turned out to be, they would be worth it. Weiss would defy Father a hundred times for a single moment like this. It wasn't just the physical contact, although that was an embarrassingly large part of it. More importantly though, were the innocent intentions behind it. There were no thoughts or motives in Ruby's head other than helping Weiss play pinball. Ruby wanted to see Weiss succeed at even the most frivolous of pursuits simply because she liked her. It was the most unbelievable thing to Weiss, but Ruby genuinely liked her without any conditions or qualifiers. She'd already known that, but it hadn't been real to her until this very moment.

By the time the last ball had gotten past the flippers, Ruby, with Weiss as her spellbound puppet, had put an impressive tally on the scoreboard.

"Ah yeah, Weiss!" Ruby cheered as she stepped back. "You did it!"

Ruby kept on talking as Weiss turned to look at her, but Weiss didn't hear a word she said. Weiss's eyes were locked onto Ruby's lips. They looked so tempting. Weiss couldn't resist. She'd already done the unthinkable today; what would breaking one more taboo hurt?

Without any warning, Weiss leaned in and kissed Ruby hard on the lips. Ruby squeaked in shock. Her eyes went wide, but only for a moment. Weiss felt Ruby start kissing her back. Then she felt Ruby's arms wrap around the back of her head and pull her in even closer. Weiss's hands found Ruby's shoulders and she held on for dear life.

It wasn't until Weiss's lungs were screaming for air that she finally broke the kiss. She and Ruby looked at each other, gasping for breath. That was when Weiss remembered that they were still in public. A quick glance around the room revealed that several people were staring at them. A young woman sitting at a nearby table even gave Weiss a big grin and a hearty thumbs up.

Weiss's face turned redder than Ruby's hood. She grabbed Ruby's hand and bolted for the door.

Once Weiss and Ruby were safely outside, Weiss said, "Ruby. I'm…" She trailed off when she realized she wasn't sure what to say. Should she apologize? Ruby had kissed her back. At least, Weiss was pretty sure that she had.

"Weiss…" Ruby said. "That. Was. Awesome! We've got to do that again!"

Weiss's mouth opened and closed several times as she tried to form a response. Eventually, she said, "Yes. I think we do. But not in public."

"Then we'd better get back to the mansion!" Ruby said. She took off running down the sidewalk.

"Slow down, Ruby!" Weiss called out as she ran after her. She wasn't entirely sure what was happening here, but it filled her with hope. Maybe her better life really was beginning.

"Wait until I tell Yang." Weiss heard Ruby say.

Weiss cringed. Maybe her better life wasn't beginning. Maybe she was about to be turned into paste by Ruby's overprotective sister. Somehow, she was still happy.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_ _I wanted to post this chapter yesterday, but that obviously didn't happen. Fortunately, I'm all set up to rapidly fire off the rest of the chapters. If everything goes according to plan (ha!) I should finish posting this story just a few days before Volume 4 launches. Just in time for the canon to obliterate this little continuity I've established, right?_

 _No, the people who make Grimm Eclipse aren't paying me for product placement. Although I'm not above selling out, you know, just in case someone wanted to throw bushels of money at me._

 _Speaking of money, as near as I can tell Lien doesn't have an official subunit of currency, so I invented my own. One hundred Sien equal one Lien._

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn._


	8. A Dueling Dance

**Chapter 8: A Dueling Dance**

Yang looked herself over in the dressing room mirror. She was looking pretty good if she did say so herself. She and Blake were in the middle of their shopping trip, all expenses paid courtesy of Weiss. Yang had taken Blake to Royal Skye's, a clothing store that specialized in the ostentatious styles that huntsmen and huntresses were drawn to.

Yang had never been to Royal Skye's before, but she knew it by reputation. She'd always wanted an excuse to shop here.

The store's staff had descended upon Yang and Blake the very moment they'd walked through the door. It was like they could smell Weiss's card on Yang. It hadn't taken long until Yang's and Blake's measurements had been taken, and they'd been ushered into separate dressing rooms to, as the staff had put it, "have their fashion dreams brought to life".

Yang was definitely pleased with the results. Her new outfit consisted of a sleeveless black and yellow crop top with a turtleneck, black pants, and tan chaps. She'd kept her old boots and scarf, but she'd added a new tan duster with short sleeves. She'd thought about getting a long-sleeved coat instead to hide her prosthetic arm when she finally got it back, but she'd decided against it. Hiding her prosthetic wouldn't make it go away, and she was tired of being ashamed of it. Besides, messing around with the sleeve when she wasn't wearing it would be a real pain.

Yang activated her gauntlet to make sure it wouldn't catch on anything. She and Blake had both brought their weapons today at Yang's insistence, including both halves of Ember Celica. After all, this shopping trip would be pointless if their weapons clashed with their new outfits.

Yang did one last twirl before the mirror. The bottom of her duster swooshed around her in a satisfying manner. This place did good work. Her outfit was just the right combination of awesome, badass, and sexy that she'd been going for.

Yang deactivated her gauntlet and walked out of her dressing room. She couldn't wait to see Blake's new look. They'd made a point of not telling each other what they were going to get. That way it'd be a surprise. Yang was squirming with anticipation. She was sure that Blake would look good no matter what she was wearing, but she still couldn't wait to see.

A few agonizingly long minutes passed until the door to Blake's dressing room opened. A boot that seemed to go on forever stepped out of the room, and the rest of Blake quickly followed. Yang was not disappointed with what she saw. Blake's new top was also a crop top with an intricate series of straps. She had on dark pants and the aforementioned boots that went all the way up to her thighs. Her old bow was still in its place of course, but she had on a new white jacket with long sleeve and even longer coattails. The finishing touch was a bandoleer that Gambol Shroud was magnetically clipped to.

"Wow! Way to go, Blakey!" Yang cheered.

"Do you like it?" Blake asked, fidgeting with her coat's sleeve. "The boots aren't too much are they?"

"Are you kidding?" Yang asked. "If I'm not careful, I might start drooling."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Blake said. She stepped in closer to Yang while very openly appreciating her new clothing.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me how badass I look?" Yang asked, preening.

"Hmmm," Blake hummed happily. Her hand drifted to Yang's bare stomach and glided across the exposed skin as she circled around her. "I guess that's one word for it."

"Oh yeah? What's another word for it?" Yang asked.

"I don't think I should say something like that in public," Blake said, coming back around to Yang's front.

"Oh you naughty girl," Yang teased.

"Do I want to know how you convinced Weiss to pay for all of this?" Blake asked, reluctantly removing her hand from Yang.

"Nope!" Yang said cheerfully.

Blake chuckled. "Why do I feel like you may be subject to some revenge in the future?"

"Weiss wouldn't do that," Yang said. "She's a softy at heart."

"If you say so," Blake said. "So what are we doing next? As I recall you said that you had a whole day's worth of things you wanted to do."

Yang fished Weiss's student ID out of her pocket and held it up with a grin. "We're going to give these new outfits a little field test."

* * *

Despite ostensibly being a student at Atlas Academy, Yang had never set foot on its campus until now. Beacon had been considered the most prestigious combat school in all of Remnant, at least until recently, but Atlas had never been far behind. Being on campus, it was easy for Yang to see why. The school had some impressive looking facilities. Yang almost thought that she'd missed an opportunity by not attending classes here, although she could tell that she would've never fit in. One glance at all the students marching around like little soldiers in their pressed and starched uniforms convinced her of that. Military life was not for her, and it was painfully clear how tightly the Atlesian military was tied to this school.

Just because Yang had no intention of actually becoming a student at Atlas, however, didn't mean she wasn't going to take advantage of the school while she could. The training facilities at the Schnee mansion were nice, but they had become decidedly less appealing with Daddy Schnee home. Fortunately, Atlas Academy was here to provide an alternative.

Yang was pleasantly surprised to find that the school actually had private sparring rooms available for students to use. They would fit quite nicely into her plans. A few swipes of Weiss's student ID and she and Blake were in.

"Yang, what are we doing here?" Blake asked.

"It's a sparring room. We're going to spar, duh," Yang said.

"But…" Blake's eyes flicked to Yang's stump.

"Yeah, I've only got one arm," Yang said. "But Gambol Shroud doesn't have its ribbon, so we're all even."

"That hardly makes us even," Blake said.

"Blake," Yang said. "Do this for me? Please?"

Blake looked at Yang with a confused expression. Yang knew why. There was no question about who was going to win, but what Blake didn't understand was that this wasn't about winning. Fighting was a part of who Yang was. It was the best way she knew to express herself, and there was still so much she wanted to share with Blake.

Blake didn't say anything more. Yang could see the conflict play across Blake's face. She obviously wasn't sure that this was a good idea, but she didn't want to say no to Yang either.

"Don't make me use the puppy dog eyes," Yang threatened.

Despite herself, Blake snickered. "Alright. If this is what you want," she said. She drew her sword off her back.

"Thanks, Blake," Yang said. She activated Ember Celica and settled into a ready stance. She'd never fought one-handed before. This was going to be interesting.

Blake hesitantly advanced on Yang, keeping her sword in its sharpened sheath for now. Yang was eager for the fight to begin, but she wanted to wait for Blake to make the first move.

Eventually, Blake attacked. Yang easily blocked the strike and the first note of metal clashing against metal rang out. Yang blocked a few more blows. She could feel the reluctance behind Blake's attacks, but that was okay for now. This was just the warm-up anyway. She'd known that she was going to have to ease Blake into this.

Yang let things continue, occasionally countering with a quick jab. Blake may have been slow on the attack, but she was just as quick to dodge as ever. It was time for Yang to deploy her secret weapon. She brought her feet into play with a surprise kick. Blake was caught off guard and just managed to spin out of the way.

Yang went on the offensive. She actually got a few hits in on Blake. She and Blake had been regular sparring buddies at Beacon. They both knew each other's styles very well. But now that Yang was forced to adapt to only having one hand, Blake was in unfamiliar territory. It was enough to throw her off, at least for the moment.

When Blake had finally taken one kick too many, she drew Gambol Shroud from its sheath. With a second blade at her disposal, Blake slipped past Yang's gauntlet and landed a solid hit on her. Yang rolled back with the blow and opened the distance between them.

Yang smiled to herself. This was a real sparring match now. She could see the twinkle in Blake's eyes. Blake didn't profess to love fighting like Yang did, and her competitive nature was difficult to draw out. But Yang knew Blake very well. Blake was secretly proud of her fighting ability. Despite any pity she might have felt for Yang, she wasn't about to let herself lose.

Blake charged at Yang, blades at the ready. Yang was forced onto the defensive, but she matched Blake step for step and her gauntlet met Blake's swords to block each blow. Raw exhilaration coursed through Yang. This was exactly what she'd wanted. She upped the tempo, twisting, turning, kicking, and punching ever faster. Blake kept pace with Yang, letting Yang's excitement feed into her own until the two of them were a blur of motion.

Unfortunately for Yang, she was definitely losing now, and she didn't want things to end so quickly. It was time to get creative. The very moment she blocked the next swipe of Blake's sword, she fired off her gauntlet and let the momentum carry her backward. Before Blake could adjust, Yang pulled back her fist and let loose a barrage of rapid shots.

Blake slid Gambol Shroud back together and used its broad sheath to deflect most of the incoming shot. Some of the pellets managed to get past her and impacted on her aura. Still, she couldn't move from her spot without risking getting hit with the full force of Ember Celica.

With Gambol Shroud's ribbon missing, Blake couldn't extend her weapon's reach, and the handgun in the sword's hilt just didn't compare to the fury that Ember Celica could unleash. Yang couldn't believe it, but she actually had the advantage at range. It was rather novel.

Yang kept firing until she'd expended all of her ammunition save for one last shell. She cocked back her fist and held it ready. Blake was still crouching in a defensive stance. Yang grinned at her, silently daring her to make a move.

Blake smiled knowingly at Yang. Then her face squinched into a look of intense concentration. All of a sudden there wasn't one Blake, not two Blakes, but three. Yang didn't know Blake could make two clones of herself. She was so amazed that she almost didn't fire off her last shell in time when two of the Blakes charged her.

The Blake that Yang hit vanished, but the second one lashed out with her sword. She kept Yang on the defensive long enough to let the third Blake, the one Yang presumed to be the real Blake, leap over her head.

Just as the Blake in front of Yang disappeared, a powerful blow struck Yang from behind. She was knocked off her feet and tumbled to the floor. Strength filled her as her semblance came alive. It was like a shot of pure adrenaline. Yang knew that Blake had a very good idea how hard of a hit it took to activate her semblance. Blake had done that on purpose.

Yang chuckled evilly. "I love it when you're feisty," she said.

Blake waited for Yang to get back on her feet. There was sweat beading on her forehead and her breathing was heavy. Summoning two clones at once must have been taxing on her, but the look in her eyes was electric. She wasn't ready for this to be over any more than Yang was.

Yang ejected the spent shell casings from Ember Celica. The climax of this duel was fast approaching and she wanted to put her all into it. She reached into her pouch, grabbed a fresh belt of shells, and tossed them into the air.

The second the shells landed in Yang's gauntlet and she'd reloaded, she fired a blast and launched herself at Blake. Just before she struck, a second Blake appeared. The Blake that Yang punched winked out of existence the moment she made contact. Yang kept up her attack, but every Blake she hit vanished like smoke while the real Blake chipped away at her aura.

Yang knew the fight was almost over, but she wouldn't give Blake anything less than her best. She kept at it, and to her and Blake's utter shock, one of her punches found the real Blake. It wasn't a solid hit; it glanced off of Blake's cheek. But when Yang pulled her fist back, the lip of her gauntlet caught on Blake's sword.

Acting purely on instinct, Yang used her bolstered strength to pull back and yank Gambol Shroud out of Blake's hand. The sword went skittering across the floor. Yang immediately threw another punch at Blake, fully expecting her to dodge out of the way. But Blake didn't dodge. She activated her half of Ember Celica and matched Yang's punch with one of her own.

There was a loud boom as both gauntlets struck each other and fired simultaneously. When the smoke from the Dust propellant cleared, Blake and Yang were staring each other down, standing just inches apart. Slowly, they circle around one another with their eyes locked. The wild look on Blake's face delighted Yang to no end. She'd never seen her get into a fight this much before.

Yang suddenly spun inside Blake's guard and unleashed her fist, but Blake simply wasn't there anymore. A hand grabbed Yang's ankle and pulled her off balance. Yang toppled to the floor. She rolled onto her back, only to have Blake pounce on top of her.

Yang held up her hand in a gesture of surrender. "You win, Blakey."

Blake didn't get off of Yang. There was an intense, almost predatory look in her eyes. Yang found it fearsomely arousing. She gave Blake a positively smoldering grin and beckoned her close.

Blake leaned in slowly. Her lips met Yang's. The kiss that followed was the most intense of Yang's life. It felt like Blake wouldn't be satisfied until she'd consumed her completely.

It wasn't until Yang was literally seeing stars from lack of oxygen that Blake finally released her. They both stared at each other, breathing heavily, not quite sure how to react to what had just happened.

Something about the situation struck Yang as incredibly funny, and she started laughing as best she could while gasping for air. It didn't take long for Yang's laughter to infect Blake, and soon, both of them were giggling like madwomen.

Blake rolled off of Yang and laid on the floor next to her. When she could finally breathe normally again, she said, "I guess our new outfits pass the field test."

"I'll say," Yang agreed.

"I don't know what you planned on doing next, but I don't think it's going to top that," Blake said.

"Probably not," Yang admitted. "But we should still go fix Gambol Shroud's ribbon."

"Fix it?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Yang said. "Weiss's ID will get us into the weapon forge too."

"Why didn't we do that before we sparred?" Blake asked.

"Cause I wanted to have a chance against you!" Yang said.

Blake laughed and playfully punched Yang. "Cheater," she said.

Yang chuckled. She got to her feet and offered Blake a hand up. "Come on, Blakey. Ruby gave me a great idea to try out."

* * *

It was well into the evening by the time Yang and Blake returned to the Schnee mansion. Blake had her sword in her hand. She was tugging on its new ribbon, testing its strength as she and Yang made their way to Yang's room.

"Think that'll work for you?" Yang asked.

"I'd say so," Blake said. She slipped her sword back onto her bandoleer.

"Good," Yang said. "Now I won't feel so bad when I take my bracelet back from you."

"I'm not sure I'll want to give it back," Blake said. "It was pretty useful today."

Yang smirked. "I think you meant to say that it was pretty _handy_ today."

Blake rolled her eyes, but Yang could tell she'd thought it was funny.

Yang and Blake reached Yang's door. Yang opened it for Blake and followed her inside. Blake unbuckled her bandoleer and took off her coat. She set both of them down on a chair.

"Mmm," Yang said. She stepped up behind Blake, put her arm on Blake's hip, and kissed the back of her neck. "Have I mentioned that you're looking good in that new outfit?"

"Once or twice," Blake said.

"I'd bet you'd look even better out—"

Yang was cut off by an earsplitting crash. One of the room's windows exploded into a flurry of shattered glass. Yang instinctively covered Blake with her own body. Glass shards pelted her but ultimately bounced harmlessly off her aura.

"What was that!?" Blake exclaimed.

Yang looked around. A bird was lying on the floor in the center of the broken glass. Yang slowly approached it. Suddenly, its body distorted and shifted until Uncle Qrow was lying in its place.

"Whoa!" Yang said. Uncle Qrow was the last person she'd expected to show up out of the blue. "Are you okay?"

Qrow hobbled up onto his hands and knees. There were bruises and cuts all over him, and Yang suspected they weren't from crashing through a window. It took Qrow a moment, but he got to his feet. He looked Yang dead in the eye, and said, "Where's Ruby!?"

* * *

 _Author's Note: There. Now Blake has her Volume 4 outfit on, and Yang has…not her Volume 4 outfit on. I do like the design decision for Yang's clothes in the upcoming Volume. They really speak to her state of mind. That Yang, however, is just starting down her road to recovery. So her outfit is not appropriate for the Yang in this story. Therefore, I invented my own._

 _And then…._

 _Just yesterday I came across some official art of an alternate new outfit for Yang, presumably the one she'll wear when she goes back into action. I decided to stick with the outfit I'd come up with though, because the official art doesn't show the new outfit from the front._

 _Honestly, the alternate official outfit is really similar to the one I came up with anyway. I guess I should be happy that the RWBY people and I are thinking along similar lines, eh?_

 _As a reminder, I will be live blogging my thoughts on Volume 4 over on my tumblr. Come join me starting October 23rd!_

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn._


	9. A Dire Message

**Chapter 9: A Dire Message**

"Who are you?" Blake asked warily. Her eyes flicked back and forth between Qrow and where Gambol Shroud was lying on the chair.

"I could ask you the same question, darling," Qrow said derisively even as he teetered unsteadily.

Blake's eyes narrowed.

"Alright!" Yang said. "Both of you play nice! Blake, this is Qrow, my uncle. Uncle Qrow, this is Blake, my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Qrow muttered.

"What are you doing here, Uncle Qrow?" Yang asked. "How did you even find me?"

"Last I saw, you were with Ice Queen's sister. Figured this was a good place to look," Qrow said. He pulled out his flask and brought it to his lips. Unfortunately, it was empty. He grumbled in disappointment.

"You look like you're about to fall over," Yang said. "You want us to call a doctor?"

"There's no time for that!" Qrow snapped, shoving his flask back into his pocket. "Did you find Ruby or not?"

"Yeah, I found her," Yang said. "What's this all about?"

"Cinder's made her next move," Qrow said. "The fighting started at Haven, just like at Beacon, but it's spread to all of Mistral. The whole kingdom's probably burning by now."

"Is anyone trying to stop her?" Yang asked.

"Everyone's trying to stop her!" Qrow said. "Those kids Ruby was with, Ozpin's cronies, Tai."

"Dad's fighting Cinder!?" Yang asked. Panic shot through her. "Is he alright?!"

"Last I saw," Qrow said. He limped his way to the bed and sat down heavily on it. "But no one's going to be alright for long unless Ruby gets into the fight."

"What? Why Ruby?" Yang asked. She knew her sister was a great fighter, but she was just one person. Qrow was talking like the future of all of Remnant hinged on her.

"She's the Summer Maiden," Qrow said.

"She's what!?" Yang exclaimed.

"It's not that surprising," Qrow said. "Her mom was the last Summer Maiden."

"She was my mom too, Uncle Qrow," Yang said reflexively.

"We've been over this, Kid. Raven was—" Qrow started.

"I know what Raven was," Yang interrupted. "Just because Summer didn't give birth to me doesn't mean she wasn't my real mom."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself," Qrow said. "That's not what's important."

Yang glared at Qrow, but he was right. Raven wasn't important right now. She asked, "Are you absolutely sure Ruby is the Summer Maiden?" It wasn't that she couldn't believe it; she just didn't want to believe it.

"What? Are you jealous or something?" Qrow asked.

"No! But if she's the Summer Maiden then Cinder will…!" Yang trailed off. She couldn't even bring herself to think about how much danger Ruby was in.

"We weren't completely certain who the power had passed to after Summer died," Qrow said. "But after what happened at Beacon, it's pretty clear that it's Ruby."

"Then I guess we're going to Mistral," Yang said solemnly.

"We? We don't need you, just Ruby," Qrow said.

"Uncle Qrow, if you think I'm letting Ruby go there alone, you're dead wrong," Yang said.

Qrow very openly stared at Yang's stump before he said, "Your funeral, Kid." He got back to his feet and hobbled toward the window.

"Where are you going?" Yang asked.

"Back," Qrow said. "If Ruby's coming to Mistral, my job's done here."

"Uncle Qrow, you can barely stand!" Yang said.

"I don't need to stand. I can fly," Qrow said. He got low to the ground. His body began to shift and shrink until he was wearing the form of a bird again. He hopped out the window, spread his wings, and took off into the night sky. He vanished almost instantly, becoming nothing more than a blur of black on black.

Yang's fist clenched tightly. There was a grave expression on her face. Too many terrible things had just been dumped on her all at once. She stared absently out the window Qrow had left through, trying to make sense of it all.

It wasn't until Yang felt Blake's hand on her shoulder that she snapped out of her trance. "Yang?" Blake said softly. "Is he right? Is Ruby the Summer Maiden?"

"Yeah," Yang said. "I think she is."

"What are we going to do?" Blake asked.

Yang reached up and took Blake's hand. She knew that the second Ruby heard about this she would be going to Mistral, and there would be no force on Remnant that could stop her. This was the day of reckoning that Yang had been trying to avoid. She was going to have to decide what was truly important to her. The choice was obvious, but that didn't make it any easier.

Yang turned around and looked Blake in the eye. She held on to her hand tightly and said, "We're going to go tell Ruby. And then we're going to go to Mistral with her."

"What about your arm?" Blake asked.

"We don't have time for that. It'll still be weeks before it's ready."

"But you—"

"This isn't about me," Yang said. As soon as the words had left her mouth, it struck her just how true they were. This really wasn't about her. It had never been about her, and that was incredibly disappointing. Maybe Qrow was right. Maybe she was jealous of Ruby. However, she wouldn't let that stop her from doing what she had to do.

"My dad's out there fighting Cinder," Yang said. "So are Jaune and Nora and Ren. They're going to need Ruby. And she's going to need me."

"You won't be able to fight by her side," Blake said.

"I…I know," Yang said. There suddenly was a lump in her throat. "But there are other things I can do besides fight. Ruby's going to need me emotionally. And hey, you never know. Cinder's probably got a minion or two I can beat the crap out of."

"Yang…" Blake whispered. Yang saw so many emotions in Blake's eyes. There was fear, hope, resignation, determination, but most of all love.

Yang squeezed Blake's hand even tighter, trying to find an anchor to hold on to. Blake cupped Yang's cheek and drew in close. She kissed Yang tenderly. The taste of Blake's lips intensified the turmoil inside of Yang. Her stomach fluttered and her knees felt weak. But despite everything, this moment was perfect. Yang committed every second of it to memory. She knew it would be her light in the dark days to come.

When Yang and Blake separated, there were tears in Yang's eyes. She looked at Blake, and Blake looked at her. They both understood.

Yang threw her arm around Blake and hugged her as hard as she could. World-shattering things were happening, and Yang wasn't ready for them. She'd never been more scared in her life. Unlike Cinder's last attack, Yang knew what was coming and how bad it was going to get. She wanted to run and scream and hide, but two bright beacons cut through her fear and gave her the courage to face what was coming. One was her need to protect Ruby and Dad and all of her friends. The other was the overwhelming love she felt in Blake's embrace.

"I love you, Blake," Yang choked out.

"I love you too," Blake said. "And I'll always be here for you. No matter what."

Yang finally let go of Blake. She wiped her eyes and regained her composure as best she could. "Let's go find Ruby."

* * *

Weiss was standing defiantly in her father's study, awaiting judgment. As she'd expected, Father had not been pleased that she'd failed to respond to his message. What she hadn't expected, however, was that he'd dispatched members of his private security force to scour Atlas for her. She'd only found out after she and Ruby had gotten back to the mansion.

Weiss glanced over to where Father was quietly conversing with his chief of security at the back of the study. It was an old tactic of Father's to make her wait when she knew she was in trouble. When she'd been younger, it'd been very effective. She could vividly recall cowering in this very room while her mind imagined all kinds of unspeakable horrors that Father might unleash on her. However, Weiss had changed since then. She wasn't afraid of Father anymore.

Mr. Schnee waved his hand to dismiss the security chief. He waited until the man had left the room. Then he sat down at his oversized desk and said, "Weiss. Come here."

Weiss approached Father's desk. There were no chairs in front of it. Those unfortunate enough to encounter Mr. Schnee in his inner sanctum were forced to stand.

"Yes, Father?" Weiss asked.

"I hope you have a good explanation," Mr. Schnee said.

"An explanation for what?" Weiss asked.

Mr. Schnee's fist slammed down on the desk. "You know very well what!"

Weiss silently congratulated herself on getting a rise out of Father. "I was out of the house when you summoned me," she said. "The CCTT network still isn't back to full capacity. My scroll must not have received your message."

"What precisely were you out doing?" Mr. Schnee asked keenly.

Weiss wanted to tell him that it was none of his business, but she knew that would just make things worse. "If you must know, I was enjoying downtown Atlas."

"You were out wandering the streets? Alone?"

"Not alone. My friend Ruby was with me."

"She'd hardly be able to protect you if something happened!"

Weiss knew that wasn't true, but she didn't argue the point. "What precisely are you expecting to happen, Father?"

"That you of all people should ask me that! You were at the blasted school during the attack!" Mr. Schnee said. "I saw the burned out buildings, and that…thing perched on the tower. Beacon stands as a warning of what's to come!"

Weiss was finally beginning to understand why Father had been so agitated as of late. "If what happened at Beacon happens here, do you really think the mansion will be any safer than the city?"

"I know it will," Mr. Schnee said. "I will make this house a fortress to keep you safe."

"Me?" Weiss asked.

"Do you truly not understand your importance?" Mr. Schnee asked. "Winter is in the military. Your mother is gone. You are all I have left."

"You don't have the right to speak of Mother!" Weiss said sharply. "And don't speak of Winter like she's no longer part of this family!"

Mr. Schnee's face twisted in anger. "Don't think I haven't noticed your poor attitude since I rescued you from Beacon," he said sternly. "That school has put strange ideas in your head. I knew it was a mistake to let you attend."

"It was my choice to go, not yours," Weiss said.

"Only because I let it be your choice," Mr. Schnee said. "The point is, I will have no more children. And Winter is beyond my protection."

"You mean she's beyond your control," Weiss said.

"Enough!" Mr. Schnee roared. Weiss knew she was treading on thin ice now. She could only push Father so far before the consequences would become dire.

"Winter is a soldier now!" Mr. Schnee continued. "War is coming. She is nothing more than meat for the grinder."

Weiss inhaled sharply. Whether he had intended to or not, Father had finally succeeded at unsettling her. "Don't say such things! Winter isn't dead yet!"

"Like so many things, you do not understand," Mr. Schnee said. "It doesn't matter if she survives or not. There is no such thing as an unwounded veteran."

"Winter is strong, Father," Weiss said, mostly to reassure herself.

"So was my older brother," Mr. Shcnee said. "You never did meet your uncle. He went to war long before you were born. No enemy ever touched him, but he came back changed. He couldn't live with the things he'd seen and done. Less than a year after he'd been back, he put a bullet in his brain."

Weiss didn't want to hear any of this. She wanted to run from the room, but she was rooted to the spot.

"Weiss," Mr. Schnee said slowly. "You are my heir. The future of the family and the company rests on your shoulders. I will protect you. Whether you want me to or not. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father. I understand," Weiss said with a wavering voice.

"You are dismissed," Mr. Schnee said.

Weiss turned smartly on her heels and walk out of the room at a brisk pace. Ruby was waiting for her out in the hallway, but Weiss didn't stop. She felt like there were hounds nipping at her heels. She wouldn't run from them like a scared little girl, but she wouldn't stop to let them devour her either.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked. "Weiss, are you okay?"

Weiss didn't say anything. She kept walking all the way to the end of the long hallway until Ruby grabbed her arm and tugged her to a halt.

"Weiss! What happened?" Ruby asked.

Weiss slowly turned to face Ruby. She felt an overwhelming need to hug her. It was a dangerous thing to do so close to Father's study, but she decided she didn't care. Her arms wrapped around Ruby.

"Uh, Weiss," Ruby said. "Hugs are nice, but you're kind of freaking me out here!"

"Just shut up and hug me back, you dolt," Weiss said.

Ruby's arms closed around Weiss. Weiss took several deep breaths. She let Ruby's presence calm her. "Tell me it's going to be alright, Ruby," Weiss said.

"It's going to be alright," Ruby said.

When Weiss finally felt more like herself, she let go of Ruby.

"Are you feeling better now?" Ruby asked.

"Yes. Thank you," Weiss said. She was getting very tired of all the uncertainty in her life. Maybe she couldn't do anything about Winter's fate, but she could still decide her own.

"Ruby," Weiss said. "We need to talk about the future."

"Oh, okay?" Ruby said.

Weiss opened her mouth to speak, but just then, Yang and Blake came bursting around the corner.

"There you are!" Yang said.

Weiss could immediately tell that something was wrong. "What's happened?" she asked.

Yang quickly explained how her uncle had come crashing through a window, asked for Ruby, and told Yang about Cinder's reemergence. The more Yang said, the deeper Weiss's scowl got and the more perplexed Ruby looked.

"I don't understand," Ruby said. "Why was Uncle Qrow looking for me?"

Yang and Blake glanced at each other. Then Yang said, "Ruby, Mom was the Summer Maiden. When she died, she gave the power to you."

Weiss felt like a weight had been dropped on her chest. If that was true, Ruby was in incredible danger!

"What? But?" Ruby sputtered. "I can't be a normal girl with normal knees if I'm the Summer Maiden!"

Weiss asked, "Could your uncle be wrong?" She dearly hoped he was.

"I don't think he's wrong," Yang said. "How else was Ruby able to drive off Cinder and freeze that dragon?"

"Ruby, I…" Weiss trailed off. She didn't know what to say.

Ruby looked confused and upset, but her expression quickly became one of conviction. She said, "Uncle Qrow's right. If Cinder's made her move, I need to stop her."

Weiss had known this moment was coming. Ruby being the Summer Maiden didn't really change anything; it just raised the stakes. Weiss knew what she had to do. She'd always known. "Ruby," she said. "I'm coming with you."

Yang said, "We're all coming with you."

"Yang, no!" Ruby said. "You—"

"She knows," Blake said. "Would that stop you from helping her?"

"No it wouldn't," Ruby said.

"Don't worry," Yang said. "Blake will keep me safe."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked Yang.

"Just try and stop me," Yang said.

"Alright," Ruby said. "Then Cinder better watch out! Because Team RWBY is coming for her!"

Before anyone could say anything else, the sound of heels clicking on the floor caught everyone's attention. Winter strode around the corner of the hallway looking very displeased.

"Winter!" Weiss said. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know that you intend to break your word to me, Sister," Winter said.

Weiss steeled herself. Winter's disapproval was not as easy to endure as Father's, but she had to. She said, "I'm not going to abandon my team."

"Yet you are doing just that," Winter said. "Team WHYT has been without its leader for too long."

"That is not my team!" Weiss said. "It's just one more thing Father tried to force on me."

"Enough of this foolishness!" Winter said. Her composure was rapidly breaking down. "You cannot go to Mistral!"

"Yet that's where you're going!"

"I have a duty! You do not!"

"That won't stop me!"

"You cannot do this, Weiss! I won't allow it!"

"You won't allow it?" Weiss repeated pointedly. "Now you sound like Father!"

Winter looked like she'd been slapped in the face. Her mouth hung open but no sound came out.

Ruby glanced at Weiss. Then she stepped forward and said to Winter, "Cinder thinks you're the Winter Maiden. Is it true?"

"Ozpin believed it was," Winter said.

"Is that the real reason you have to go to Mistral?" Ruby asked.

"Yes," Winter said.

"I don't know if you heard, but I'm the Summer Maiden," Ruby said.

"You?" Winter looked horrified. "You're just a child."

"That won't save me when Cinder comes for me," Ruby said. "That's why I have to go to Mistral too."

"You'll be killed," Winter said.

"Only if I go alone," Ruby said. "But if I have my friends with me, Cinder won't be able to touch me."

Winter scoffed and turned away. "Sentimental nonsense."

Weiss said, "We're going to Mistral, Winter. Are you going to try to stop us?"

Winter glanced back over her shoulder. Her mask of calm was back in place. Whatever she was feeling, she betrayed none of it. "I will do what I must," she said. Then she walked away.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_ _Poor Ruby. She's the main character in an anime-inspired show. She was never, ever going to be normal._

 _I'm not actually one hundred percent certain that Ruby is going to turn out to be the Summer Maiden in actual RWBY canon, but it makes sense to me. If she is however, it does beg the question why Qrow spun that yarn about the silver-eyed warriors at the end of Volume 3._

 _Looks like I'm actually going to finish this before Volume 4 starts. Only one more chapter to go!_

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn._


	10. A Daring Escape

_Author's Note:_ _Many of you have pointed out that canon-Ruby is probably not the Summer Maiden, and that her defeat of Cinder could very easily be attributed to Silver-Eyed Warrior powers. I'm perfectly aware of this, but I'm glad you guys care enough about this story to point it out. I'm not really trying to make predictions here; I just thought it'd be interesting if Ruby was the Summer Maiden. So I made her the Summer Maiden._

* * *

 **Chapter 10: A Daring Escape**

Yang was resting on top of the bed in her guest room with her arm tucked under her head. Night had once again fallen outside her window. She'd never really thought about it before, but this room was far too big for just one person. She supposed the whole Schnee mansion was like that. There was too much space and nothing to fill it with but the trappings of wealth. Yang was getting really sick of this place. Fortunately, she wouldn't be a guest here much longer.

In hindsight, Yang was surprised that she, Blake, and Ruby hadn't been tossed out onto the streets yesterday. Winter obviously wasn't pleased with them, and after hearing what Weiss's dad has said, he probably thought that they were Cinder's agents or something like that. However, a whole day had passed without any word from Winter or Mr. Schnee.

Team RWBY had spent that day preparing for their trip to Mistral. Yang's duffle bag was sitting on the bed next to her. It was full to the brim with everything she'd brought to Atlas plus all kinds of extra supplies. There was a long journey ahead, and with Mistral essentially being a war zone, Yang wasn't counting on basic necessities being readily available.

Unfortunately, a complication had arisen. Within hours of Team RWBY's confrontation with Winter, a small army of security guards had suddenly appeared. They'd been patrolling the mansion's halls and keeping an eye on all the exits ever since. Weiss had been absolutely certain that they were there to keep her safely within the mansion's confines.

Yang wasn't sure if the guards were Winter's or Daddy Schnee's doing, and quite frankly, she didn't care. She already knew everything she needed to know about them: they didn't answer questions, they had no sense of humor, and they were in the way. Fortunately, Ruby, with a lot of input from Weiss and Blake, had worked out a plan to sneak out of the mansion.

Yang was just waiting for the signal now. She hoped it would come soon. She really hated waiting.

Yang held up her stump and looked at it. The metal ports that had been grafted into her skin reflected the light with a dull luster. Yang hadn't realized until yesterday just how much of an emotional crutch her prosthetic had been for her. Even just the promise of getting it back had kept her spirits up. She understood now that she wasn't over what had happened to her. Maybe she never would be. She'd begun to wonder if getting the cybernetic arm had been a mistake. It'd enabled her to think she was moving on with her life without really moving on at all.

Yang supposed none of that mattered now. Ruby needed her, and so did Blake and Dad and Weiss and countless others. She absolutely would not let them down. Maybe she would never put what had happened behind her, but that didn't mean she couldn't rise above it.

Yang's scroll buzzed. She fished it out of her pocket and slid the screen open.

 _Blakey: The guards are about to change shifts._

Blake had spent a good deal of last night covertly observing the guards' patterns. Yang thought it would be simpler for Team RWBY to just punch their way out of the mansion, but that idea had been unanimously rejected. Weiss was terrified that Winter would try to stop them with force, and fighting her own sister was not something she was prepared to do. If any of the guards raised the alarm, Winter might come running.

Yang didn't much want to fight Winter either, truth be told. Sparring matches, hunting grimm, and kicking White Fang butt were one thing, but actually fighting against Weiss's sister in earnest was quite another. As much as Yang loved to fight, something like that just didn't feel right.

Yang's scroll buzzed again.

 _Ice Queen: The east corridor is clear._

 _Rubes: Guest hall is 2_

Yang got up off the bed. She grabbed her duffle, slung it over her shoulder, and typed out a message as she walked to the door.

 _Me: Everyone rdy for this?_

 _Ice Queen: Ready._

 _Rubes: Y_

Yang perched at the door with her hand on the knob until the message she'd been waiting for finally came.

 _Blakey: Now._

Yang opened the door and slipped out of her room. In the hallway, Ruby silently joined her with her rucksack in hand. The two of them walked down the hallway at a brisk pace. Yang would have preferred to run, but they were already making enough noise as it was on the hardwood floors.

They found Blake exactly where she was supposed to be. Blake had a small backpack on her back that looked like it was stuffed to capacity. Still, she was probably traveling lighter than Yang or Ruby.

Yang and Ruby followed Blake until the three of them came to a corner. Blake held up a hand for everyone to stop. She pressed herself against the wall. Yang and Ruby did the same. A minute later, a security guard walked by down the intersecting hallway.

As soon as the guard had passed, Blake motioned for Yang and Ruby to follow. They tiptoed down the corridor. Blake was perfectly silent. How she managed to do that in heeled boots, Yang had no idea. Maybe she could ask Blake to teach her that trick later. Judging by the way Blake's cat ears were twitching underneath her bow, she was not impressed with Yang's and Ruby's attempts at stealth.

It didn't take long for Yang, Blake, and Ruby to reach the rendezvous point with Weiss at a crossing of hallways near the mansion's foyer. Weiss, however, wasn't there.

"Where is she?" Ruby whispered.

"I don't know," Yang whispered back. "Do you think we should message her?"

"Quiet," Blake hissed. She crept up to the corner where the two hallways met and peeked around it.

Blake turned back to Yang and Ruby and held up two fingers. Yang figured that meant she saw two guards. That wasn't good. Weiss was supposed to have come from that direction.

 _Weiss?_ Ruby mouthed at Blake.

Blake pointed around the corner. Since there weren't any sounds of a struggle, Yang assumed that Weiss must still be hidden but pinned down by the unaware guards. Yang made a fist and held it up. As far as she was concerned, punching their way out of this was still a good backup plan. If they were quick, they could knock out the guards before they raised the alarm.

Blake rolled her eyes. She held up a hand for Yang to be patient. A clone split off of her and took another peek around the corner.

Yang was a bit perplexed. Could Blake see through her clones? That was one more thing to ask her about later.

Apparently having seen an opening, the clone took off down the hall but in the opposite direction from the guards.

Suddenly there was a thumping sound.

"Who's there!" one of the guards shouted.

Yang wondered if something had gone wrong. She looked at Blake, but Blake didn't seem worried.

"Did you see something?" the other guard asked.

"I don't know," the first guard said. "I thought there was someone there, but then they just vanished."

"Let's go check it out," the second guard said.

Blake motioned for everyone to get up against the wall. Seconds later the two guards came walking past the intersection, guns drawn and looking intently in the direction Blake's clone had gone.

The guards vanished from sight as they moved farther down the hallway. Blake beckoned for Yang and Ruby to follow her. In the intersection, they saw Weiss sneaking toward them. She was carrying a rather large suitcase. Yang might have teased her about over packing, but she was honestly surprised that Weiss had managed to limit herself to just one piece of luggage. She was also impressed that Weiss had managed to hide with it.

"Thank you," Weiss whispered when she'd caught up with the group.

Everyone knew where to go now. They followed the zigzagging hallways along their route until they finally emerged in the foyer. However, instead of making a beeline for the front door, they all stopped in their tracks.

Mr. Schnee was standing there, between Team RWBY and their goal. There was a sneer on his lips. His hand rested on the hilt of a large saber that was sheathed on his belt. Strangely, the sword did not appear to also be a gun. That didn't make its blade any less sharp, however.

"Father," Weiss said as she set her suitcase down. She only sounded mildly surprised. "Was this Winter's doing?"

"As if I would need her to know when treachery was afoot in my own home," Mr. Schnee said.

Weiss eyed her father's blade. "Are you really intending to draw a sword on your own daughter?"

"Some days I wonder if you are still my daughter," Mr. Schnee said. "Regardless, I will do whatever is necessary to protect your future. The only question that remains is, will you force my hand."

Weiss blanched. "You're not serious!"

Mr. Schnee drew his blade. "I am very serious."

"What's wrong with you?!" Ruby blurted out. "Weiss is doing a brave thing! Can't you see that?"

"As if someone like you would know the difference between bravery and stupidity," Mr. Schnee said. He brandished his sword at Ruby. "Don't think that I don't know who you are, Ruby Rose. I hold you personally responsible for the insanity that has corrupted my daughter."

"Oh that is it!" Yang said. She squeezed her fist together. "This is going to be so much more satisfying than a punching bag!"

"No, Yang! Wait!" Weiss stepped in front of Yang. She turned to Mr. Schnee and said, "Father, please listen to me!"

"No! You will listen to me!" Mr. Schnee advanced menacingly on Team RWBY.

Weiss's hands found Yang and Ruby's arms. She pulled them back with her as she backpedaled.

"Weiss!" Yang said. "What are you doing?!"

Mr. Schnee stopped in his tracks. Blake was standing her ground, blocking his way.

"You!" Mr. Schnee practically spat in Blake's face. "Get out of my way!"

"Blake!" Yang said. She pulled herself free of Weiss's grip.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Weiss shouted after her.

Mr. Schnee raised his sword, but Blake vanished into thin air.

"What!?" Mr. Schnee said.

Yang heard the sound of Ember Celica activating a split second before something impacted the back of Mr. Schnee's head. He went cross-eyed and then toppled to the ground unconscious.

Blake, the real Blake, was standing behind Mr. Schnee. Her fist, clad in Yang's gauntlet, still hung in a striking position.

Blake deactivated Ember Celica and lowered her hand. "I'm sorry, Weiss," she said. "But he wasn't going to see reason."

"I…I suppose he had that coming," Weiss said.

"Oh come on, Weiss," Yang said. "You can't pretend that wasn't cathartic."

"It wasn't," Weiss said. "No matter what else he is, he's still my father."

Yang scowled. She didn't like it, but Weiss might have a point.

"Weiss…" Ruby said.

"It's okay, Ruby," Weiss said. She collected her suitcase. "We should go. One of the guards must have heard that. And I don't think it would be wise to be here when Father wakes up."

Yang, Blake, Weiss, and Ruby all walked out the front door. They were finally in the clear, or so they'd thought. Rather than the empty driveway they'd been expecting, however, there was an impeccably dressed man standing there in front of a limo with a running engine.

"Good evening, Madam," the man said to Weiss. "Your sister sends her regards."

"Oh come on," Yang said. "Winter really sent the butler to stop us?"

Weiss asked, "Sven? What's this all about?"

"Madam Winter wished for me to convey her regrets for not being here in person," Sven said. "She instructed me to inform you that while she still believes you are being foolish, she feels that it would be better to aid you rather than hinder you."

"She what?" Weiss asked, completely surprised.

"This limousine will take you to the airdock, where a military transport is waiting for you. It appears you and your team have impressed her, Madam," Sven said. "I cannot pretend to fully understand the situation, but let me say that I am proud of you."

Weiss closed her eyes. A smile crossed her lips.

"Weiss?" Ruby said as she took Weiss's free hand. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Weiss said. She opened her eyes. "Thank you, Sven. Please tell my sister if you get a chance that I won't let her down."

"Of course, Madam." Sven bowed. Then he picked a metal case up off the ground. "Miss Xiao Long? Madam Winter also instructed me to give you this. I'm told it cost a great deal to have it prepared in time."

Yang's heart skipped a beat in her chest. She recognized the case. Could it be? She walked toward Sven and took it from him with a trembling hand. "Thanks," she said.

Sven opened the limo's door. "Madam should hurry. It wouldn't do for her to be late."

"Yes, of course," Weiss said. "Sven? I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me over the years."

"Madam needn't think anything of it," Sven said. "I was merely doing my job."

Team RWBY climbed into the limo and stowed their luggage. The driver took off right away.

"We did it," Weiss said.

Ruby hugged her from the side. "I knew we would."

Weiss put her arm around Ruby. Soon the two of them were cuddling together like they were alone in the car. Yang might've had something to say about that, but she was too entranced by the case sitting in her lap.

Blake asked, "Aren't you going to open it?"

"I'm not sure if I should," Yang said.

"Why not?" Blake asked.

"I don't know," Yang said honestly. "It doesn't quite feel like I earned this."

"Yang, you were willing to follow Ruby to Mistral, despite what it was going to cost you," Blake said.

"I know," Yang said. "But what if I never figure out how to live without it?"

"I'll be there to help you," Blake said. "Yang. I know this will make you feel better about yourself. Is that so wrong?"

Yang reached down and undid the latches on the case one by one. She opened it up. Her cybernetic arm was inside, sitting in molded foam padding. It looked good as new.

"Blake. I think you should do the honors," Yang said.

Blake smiled. She took the arm out of the case. Yang held up her stump for her. Blake lined up the ports and locked Yang's prosthetic into place.

Yang felt the familiar itching sensation run down the right side of her body, but it passed quickly. Blake pressed her palm against Yang's artificial one, and they twined their fingers together.

Yang felt a weight lift off of her. She smiled and drew in close to Blake for a kiss.

"Gross!" Ruby teased.

"Like you're one to talk, Sis!" Yang shot back.

Blake unhooked Ember Celica from her wrist. "I believe this is yours," she said.

Yang let Blake hook her bracelet back on its rightful place. "Thanks for taking care of it," she said.

Weiss looked out the window at the city rolling by. "I guess this is the last I'll see of Atlas for a long time."

"We may be going to Mistral," Ruby said. "But we'll be fighting for Atlas, and all of the other kingdoms too."

Yang said, "You know, Rubes, this is it."

"What's it?" Ruby asked.

"This is where we get to be just like the heroes in those stories I used to read to you," Yang said. "Cause we're on our way to go save the world."

A smile worked its way onto Ruby's lips. She said, "Yeah! Cinder doesn't stand a chance!"

* * *

 _Author's Note:_ _Team RWBY will return in The Avengers! Actually, they probably won't, but that would be awesome. On a more serious note though, I do have ideas for a third story in this series. Let me know if you guys are interested in more. I probably won't be working on it until Volume 4 is at least mostly done, however. It's going to get into some parts of the RWBY-verse that aren't well established yet. Despite my story being very non-canon at this point, I still want to mostly adhere to the elements of canon._

 _And speaking of Volume 4, I will be live blogging it over on my tumblr (username: electronicyarn). Come join me on Sunday evenings (North American time) to hear my rambling, disjointed thoughts on the new episodes._

 _I'll see you guys in Volume 4!_

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn._


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